IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


Li 

US 

mm 

ly 
u 
III 

HI 


125 


ito 


2.0 


M 


V^UL^ 

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6"     

» 

I  (111 trill 


^ 


i^ 


V 


V 


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V 


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Scmces 
Carparadon 


23  \KflBT  MAM  STRHT 

Wnsm,N.Y.  14SM 

(71*)  172-4503 


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A%<if 


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CiHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CiHM/iCIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


CaiuMltan  iMthut*  for  Historical  IMicroroproductioiM  /  iiwtitut  canodion  da  microraprodlictiona  hiatoriquas 


Tcrh<rt3ca'/  and  Bibliographic  Notaa/Notaa  taehniquas  at  bibiiographiquat 


Tlia  Instituta  has  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  bast 
original  copy  avaiiabia  for  filming.  Faaturas  of  this 
copy  which  may  ba  biMiographioaily  uniqua. 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagas  in  tha 
raproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  changa 
tha  usual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chackad  balow. 


D 


D 


D 


n 


D 


0 


Coiourad  covars/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


r~~~|   Covars  damagad/ 


Couvartura  andommagAa 


Covars  r«storad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  rastaurAa  at/ou  palliculAa 


□    Cover  titia  missing/ 
La 


titra  da  couvartura  manqua 


I      I   Coiourad  maps/ 


Cartas  gAographiquas  an  coulaur 

Coiourad  ink  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  (i.a.  autra  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 


I     I   Coiourad  piatas  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planchas  at/ou  illustrations  an  coulaur 

Bound  with  othar  matariai/ 
Rail*  avac  d'autras  documants 

Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  intarior  margin/ 

La  re  iiura  sarrAa  paut  causar  da  I'ombra  ou  da  la 
distortion  la  long  da  la  marga  intiriaura 

Blank  laavas  addad  during  rastoration  may 
appaar  within  tha  taxt.  Whanavar  possibia,  thasa 
hava  baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
II  sa  paut  qua  cartainas  pagas  bianchas  ajouttos 
lors  d'una  rastauration  apparaissant  dans  la  taxta, 
mais.  lorsqua  cola  Atait  possibla.  cas  pagas  n'ont 
pas  AtA  filmAas. 


Additional  commants:/ 
Commantairas  supplAmantairas; 


VarkNit  pagingt. 


L'Institut  a  mierof llmA  la  maillaur  axamplaira 
qu'il  lul  a  At4  possibla  da  sa  procurar.  Las  details 
da  cat  axamplaira  qui  sont  paut-Atra  uniquaa  du 
point  da  vua  bibliograpniqua,  qui  pauvant  modifier 
una  imaga  raproduita.  ou  qui  pauvant  axigar  una 
modification  dans  la  mithoda  normala  da  filmaga 
sont  indiquAs  ci-dassous. 


D 
D 
D 
Q 

D 
0 
D 
D 
D 
0 


Coiourad  pagas/ 
Pagas  da  coulaur 

Pagas  damagad/ 
Pagas  andommagAas 

Pagas  rastorad  and/or  laminated/ 
Pagas  rastaurAes  at/ou  palliculAes 

Pagas  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pagas  dAcoiorias,  tachatAas  ou  piqutas 

Pagas  detached/ 
Pages  d4tach*es 

Showthrough/ 
Transparanca 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Qualit^  inigala  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplamentary  matariai/ 
Comprend  du  material  suppMmantaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Saula  Mition  disponible 

Pagas  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  arrata 
slips,  tissues,  ate.  have  baen  refilmed  to 
ensura  the  best  possibla  imaga/ 
Las  pages  totalamant  ou  partiailamant 
obscurcias  par  un  fauillet  d'errata.  una  pelure. 
etc..  ont  AtA  film^as  i  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obtaiiii  Im  meillaure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  chackad  balow/ 

Ca  document  est  f  ilmA  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ei-dessous. 


to  tha 


Thair 
pooaH 
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ston.  I 
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or  Mm 


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TINUI 


antfartt 
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right  I 
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10X 

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itx 

22X 

28X 

30X 

1 

J 

12X 

16X 

20X 

a4x 

aix 

32X 

TiM  copif  ninmd  htr*  hM  Immi  r«produe«d  thaniM 
toth*  OMMTOtHy  af : 

Univtriity  of  BrHMi  ColHmMa  Library 


L'mmnptoir*  film4  f  ut  rtproduit  grAos  i  to 
OAnArosH*  d«: 

Univtrtity  of  British  Columbia  Library 


Th*  inMOM  ■PPMring  h«r»  ar*  th«  bMt  quality 
poaalbto  oonaMarino  tha  eandltfon  and  laglblllty 
of  tha  original  eopy  and  in  Icaaping  with  tha 
fHming  contract  apacif icatlona. 


Laa  imagaa  auivantaa  ont  4t4  raproduitaa  avac  la 
pirn  grand  aoin,  compta  tanu  da  ia  condition  at 
da  to  nattati  da  I'axamptoira  fiimi,  at  an 
conformitA  avac  !sa  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 


Original  coplaa  In  printad  papar  covars  ara  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  eovar  and  anding  on 
tha  laat  paga  whh  a  printad  or  Hluotratad  Impraa- 
•ton.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  Ail 
othar  original  coplaa  ara  fHmad  baginning  on  tho 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  Wustratad  impras- 
slon.  and  anding  on  tha  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  Nlustratad  imprasslon. 


Las  aKamptoiras  orlginaux  dont  la  couvartura  an 
paplar  aat  imprim4a  sont  fiimAs  an  commanpant 
par  to  pramiar  ptot  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
damlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'imprasslon  ou  d'iiiustration,  soit  par  to  sacond 
ptot.  salon  to  eas.  Tous  las  autras  axampiairas 
orlginaux  sont  fiimte  an  commanpant  par  ia 
pramlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'imprasslon  ou  d'iilustration  at  an  tarminant  par 
to  darnlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  talis 
amprainta. 


Tha  last  racordad  frama  on  aach  microfiche 
Shan  contain  tha  symbol  -^  (moaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  ▼  Imaanlng  "END"). 
wMchavar  applias. 


Un  das  symboias  suivants  apparaltra  sur  ia 
darnlAra  imaga  da  chaqua  microfiche,  salon  ia 
cas:  to  symbols  -^  signifis  "A  SUiVRE",  la 
symboto  y  signifis  "FIN". 


ptotas.  charts,  ate.,  may  ba  filmad  at 
diffarant  reduction  ratioe.  Thoee  too  large  to  be 
entirely  Inchidad  in  one  expoeure  ere  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hend  corner,  toft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  fremes  as 
required.  The  following  iMegrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  pienches.  tsbleaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
fiimte  A  dee  taux  da  rMuction  diff  Arents. 
Lorsque  to  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seui  ciichA,  ii  est  f limA  A  partir 
da  I'angto  supArtour  geuche,  de  gauche  A  droits. 
et  de  heut  en  bas,  en  prenent  to  nombre 
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VOLUME  I. 


Edition  Limited  to  Eleven  Hundred  Copies. 


Nos.  I  to  loo  on  Handmade  Paper. 
Nos.  loi  to  iioo  on  Fine  Book  Paper. 


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NE^y  LIGHT  ON  THE  EARLY  HISTORY  OF 
THE  GREATER  NORTHWEST 


THE  MANUSCRIPT  JOURNALS  OF 

ALEXANDER  HENRY 

Fur  Trader  of  th«  NorthwMt  Company 

AND  or 

DAVID  THOMPSON 

Official  Geographer  and  Explorer  of  the  tame  Company 

J799-J8U 


Expioratioo  and  Advcahm  among  fhc  Vidians  on  tiic  Rcd»  Saikatchcwan^ 
MiwMir),  and  Q)luml»la  Riven 


EDITED  WITH  COPIOUS  CRITICAL  COMMENTARY  BY 

ELLIOTT  COUES 

Editor  of  "  Lcwii  and  Clark,"  of  "  Pike,"  etc.,  etc. 

Jlv  ^/^/. /,  i^c.^r>-    IN  THREE  VOLUMES 

Vol.  I 
Vbe  neo  niver  of  tbe  Hortb 


^1 


NEW  YORK 

FRANCIS  p.  HARPER 

.1897 


.^iis.4„^ 


Copyright,  it^;, 

BY 

FRANCIS  p.  HARPER. 


All  rights  rtstrv*i, 

/So  2«r 


CONTENTS  OF  VOLUME  I. 

PAOB 

Prifacb  by  the  Editok vii-xxvlli 

PART  I. 
THE  RED  RIVER. 

CHAPTER  I. 
Mv  P»ST  Venture,  1799- 1800 i*5 

CHAPTER  n. 
The  Red  JIiver  Brioaob  op  1800 6-77 

CHAPTER  in. 
The  Park  River  Post,  1800-01,  ......      78-1 84 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Pembina  River  Post,  i8oi-o3 185-aoi 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Pembina  River  Post,  Continued  :  1809-03 aoa-aas 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Pembina  River  Post,  Continued  -.  1803-04,        .       .       .    334-346 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Pembina  River  Post,  Continued  :   1804-05,  .       .    347-359 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Pembina  River  Post,  Continued  :  1805-06,  .       .    360-384 

V 


vi 


The  Mandan  Tour,  1806, 


CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER  IX. 


PAOB 
285-366 


CHAPTER  X. 
Thb  Chbybnnb  Treaty.  1806 367-397 


CHAPTER  XI. 
From  thb  Mandans  to  Pbmbina,  1806,  .       .       , 


•    398-4*3 


CHAPTER  XII. 
Thb  Pbmbina  Rivbr  Post,  Concludbo  :  1807-08,     .       .       .    434-446 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 


HLEXANDER  HENRY  THE  YOUNGER,  whose 
Journal  of  1799-1814  forms  the  main  body  of  the 
present  work,  is  a  person  of  whom  hardly  anything  has 
been  known  hitherto,  and  one  who  therefore  requires  for- 
mal introduction  to  the  readers  he  may  reasonably  hope  to 
win  on  this,  his  first  appearance  in  public,  as  an  au  .0- 
biographer. 

The  author  of  Henry's  Journal  must  not  be  confounded 
with  that  other  Alexander  Henry — the  Elder,  as  the  latter 
may  be  called,  now  that  there  are  two  writers  of  the  iden- 
tical name — whose  well-known  Travels  and  Adventures  in 
Canada  and  the  Indian  Territories  between  the  Years  1760 
and  1776  was  published  at  New  York  by  I.  Riley  in  1809, 
and  who  died  at  Montreal  April  14th,  1824:  see  Canadian 
Magazine  and  Literary  Repository,  Vol.  II.,  Nos.  10  and 
II,  April  and  May,  1824,  for  biographical  data.  The  two 
men  were  related  as  nephew  and  uncle,  and  led  similar  lives 
in  like  scenes  under  identical  occupations;  but  their 
respective  narrations  have  no  connection  with  each  other. 
Like  his  elder  relative,  the  younger  Henry  was  a  fur  trader 
among  the  American  Indians ;  and  during  the  period  over 
which  his  Journal  extends  he  was  one  of  the  famous 
"  Northmen,"  as  they  used  to  be  called — that  is,  one  of  the 
partners  in  the  celebrated  old  Northwest  Company  of  com- 
mercial adventurers,  whose  restless  activities  and  indomita- 
ble energies  covered  a  continent  with  the  most  formidable 
rivals  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  ever  encountered.  The 
annals  of  American  adventure  may  be  searched  in  vain  for 
more  picturesque  pages  than  those  inscribed  with  the  daring 


via 


editor's  preface. 


and  thrilling  exploitations  of  these  pioneers  in  penetrating 
and  occupying  the  vast  region  which  may  be  styled  the 
"  Greater  Northwest." 

The  most  commanding  figure  among  the  Northmen  is 
Sir  Alexander  McKenzie,  whose  double  laurels  are  those  of 
first  reaching  the  Arctic  ocean  by  way  of  the  great  river 
which  still  bears  his  name,  and  of  first  reaching  the  Pacific 
ocean  ove  ^and  through  British  America;  and  whose  work, 
originally  published  in  1801,  has  become  classic.  In  that 
year  our  untitled  Alexander  Henry  was  established  as  a 
wmterer  or  hivernant  in  a  post  he  had  built  on  the  Red 
River  of  the  North,  and*  engaged  in  the  humble  routine  of 
traffic  with  the  Indians,  whom  he  cheated  and  debauched 
as  a  matter  of  course,  with  assiduity  and  success,  upon 
strict  business  principles  and  after  the  most  approved 
methods.  Meanwhile,  however,  he  fell  into  another  habit, 
of  which  the  Northmen  were  seldom  guilty  ;  for  he  took  to 
the  pen,  and  at  his  leisure — that  is,  when  he  was  not  serv- 
ing his  coppery  customers  with  diluted  alcohol  or  other 
articles  they  desired  to  secure  at  fabulous  prices — he  kept 
a  journal.  In  this  literary  habit  he  persevered  until  the 
very  day  before  his  death  ;  and  this  veracious  chronicle,  in 
which  nothing  whatever  is  extenuated,  for  aught  there  be 
set  down  in  malice,  is  now  before  us.  It  may  not  be  of  the 
heroic  order ;  but  it  mirrors  life  in  a  way  Mr.  Samuel  Pepys 
might  envy,  could  he  compare  his  inimitable  Diary  with 
this  curious  companion-piece  of  causerie,  and  perceive  that 
he  who  goes  over  the  sea  may  change  his  sky,  but  not  his 
mind.  There  is  said  to  be  a  great  deal  of  human  nature  in 
mankind  ;  certainly  our  author  had  his  share  of  it,  and  so 
had  all  the  people  in  his  book,  to  judge  from  the  way  that 
English,  Scotch,  French,  American,  and  Indian  characters 
are  shown  up  under  his  unterrified  hand. 

In  the  course  of  the  fifteen  years  during  which  Henry's 
journalistic  devotion  is  witnessed  in  these  pages  he  trav- 
eled from  Lake  Superior  to  the  Pacific,  with  protracted 
intervals  of    residence  at  various  points  in  his  long  voy- 


!;j;a'rf.^..i?:j">iT--nfrfya 


EDITOR  S  PREFACE. 


ix 


aging.    His  commercial  ventures  caused  adventures  through 
the  Provinces  of  Ontario,  Manitoba,  Assiniboia,  Keewatin, 
Saskatchewan,  Alberta,  and  British  Columbia,  in  the  pres- 
ent Dominion  of  Canada ;  and,  in  the  United  States,  through 
Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  North  Dakota,  Idaho,  Oregon,  and 
Washington.     In  the  region  of  the  Red  river  his  dealings 
were  with  Ojibways  and  other  Indians  of  Algonquian  lineage, 
whilst  his  warrings  were  with  Sioux ;  along  the  Saskatch- 
ewan he  trafficked  with    Crees,  with  Assiniboines,  with 
Blackfeet,  Bloods,  Piegans,  Atsinas,  and  some  of  the  Atha- 
pascan tribes,  especially  Sarcees ;  on  Columbian  waters  his 
commerce  was  with  Chinooks,  Clatsops,  and  many  other 
aborigines  of  the  Pacific  slope.     He  was  once  on   terms 
with  the  Mandans  and  their  associates  of  the  Missouri,  and 
visited  the  Cheyennes  in  their  company.     So  far  from  being 
peculiar  to  Henry's  case  was  such  an  extensive  acquaint- 
ance with  Indians,  this  was  the  common  fortune  of  the 
Northmen ;  but  few  of    them   have  recorded   their  expe- 
riences, for  the  gun  was  oftener  than  the  pen  in  the  hands 
of  even  those  whose  souls  soared  above  a  beaver-skin.    An 
always  sordid  and  not  seldom  nefarious  environment,  during 
dreary  months  of  isolation  and  desolation,  alternating  with 
periodical  peregrinations  of  immense  extent  and  arduous- 
ness — conditions  of  extreme  personal  peril  from  hunger, 
cold,  and  savagery — experiences  whose  deadening  monot- 
ony was  modified  mainly  by  deadlier  danger — such  are  not 
circumstances  conducive  to  literary  accomplishment.    An 
Irving's  easy-chair  is  an  easier  way  of  wooing  the  muse 
to  exploit  the  romance  of  Northman  or  Southman,  and 
the  world  applauds  an  Astoria.     But  what  of  the  actors 
themselves  in  such  stern  realities,  whose  glamourless  lives, 
as  a  rule,  survived  illusions  only  to  find  oblivion  their  final- 
ity?   When  one  of  these  speaks  for  himself,  we  can  but 
listen  to  his  words  ;  the  world  is  never  too  busy  to  hear  a 
genuine  adventurer's  own  story  of  his  adventures.     So  it 
happens  that — to  mention  a  few  of  those  whose  works  in 
this  special  field  of  fur-trade  literature  do  follow  and  live 


H'«^*^^ 


editor's  preface. 


after  them — McKenzie  is  perennial ;  so  are  Samuel  Heame, 
Edouard  Umfreville,  Arthur  Dobbs,  Alexander  Henry  the 
Elder,  Daniel  Williams  Harmon,  Gabriel  Franch&re,  Ross 
Cox,  Alexander  Ross,  John  Tanner.  Among  these  wor- 
thies, and  with  others  who  could  be  named,  all  of  them 
closely  connected  with  our  author,  some  of  them  his  per- 
sonal associates,  Alexander  Henry  the  Younger  has  hith- 
erto failed  to  stand,  not  because  he  was  no  author,  but 
simply  because  his  work  was  born  out  of  time  and  long 
seemed  to  have  perished  with  him. 

Henry's  Journal  has  slept  for  nearly  a  century,  during 
which  his  memory  has  been  almost  effaced.  But  I  think  it 
will  now  take  its  rightful  place  among  the  most  important 
contributions  ever  made  to  the  inside  history  of  the  fur 
trade  in  British  America  in  general,  and  of  the  Northwest 
Company  in  particular — even  McKenzie's  hitherto  unri- 
valed work  may  need  to  look  to  its  laurels.  Henry  the 
Elder  having  been  one  of  the  first  whites  who  penetrated 
to  the  plains  of  the  Saskatchewan,  after  the  French  rigime 
and  before  there  was  any  Northwest  Company,  it  is  fitting 
that  another  of  the  sanr.e  name,  Alexander  Henry  the 
Younger,  should  take  up  the  theme,  and  bring  the  same 
subject  down  nearly  to  the  close  of  the  Northmen's  organ- 
ized existence.  The  thread  of  his  narration  would  doubt- 
less have  been  spun  to  the  end  of  that  organization,  had  it 
not  fallen  short  through  the  shears  of  inflexible  Atropos. 

The  fact  that,  as  already  intimated,  Henry's  mvaluable 
Journal  has  never  before  seen  the  light,  would  surprise  no 
judge  of  literary  material  who  should  inspect  the  manu- 
script which  has  served  as  the  basis  of  the  present  work. 
No  printer  could  handle  the  copy  as  it  stands;  no  pub- 
lisher would  be  justified  in  undertaking  to  bring  it  out ; 
and  the  task  of  redaction  was  clearly  one  which  called  for 
a  combination  of  hardihood  and  hard  work  from  which  any 
editor  might  well  shrink,  hopeless  of  successful  accomplish- 
ment. Piqued,  perhaps,  by  the  latent  possibilities  of  this 
case,  stimulated  to  the  endeavor  by  a  very  genuine  interest 


editor's  preface. 


xi 


in  all  that  relates  to  the  history  of  America .;  pioneering, 
and  observing  that  the  Henry  period  was  precisely  the  one 
with  which  I  had  become  most  familiar  in  consequence  of 
similar  work  done  in  other  connections,  I  undertook  to 
shape  Henry's  Journal  for  presentation  to  the  public.  It 
is  not  for  me  to  say  anything  of  the  merit  or  demerit  of 
my  own  performance ;  but  the  manuscripts  upon  which 
I  worked  are  so  nearly  unknown  that  an  account  of  them 
becomes  a  bibliographical  necessity. 

Of  Henry's  original  notebooks  oi  diaries,  penned  manu 
sua,  I  know  nothing — not  even  whether  or  no  they  be  still 
extant;  I  have  never  seen  his  handwriting,  even  to  the 
extent  of  his  signature.  Henry's  Journal,  as  we  have  it, 
is  what  is  known  as  "the  Coventry  copy,"  manu  aliena, 
penned  by  George  Coventry,  about  the  year  1824;  for  the 
date  "  Montreaf,  February  20th,  1824,"  is  set  as  a  sort  of 
colophon  at  the  end.  This  writing  is  furnished  with  af 
formal  title-page,  worded  "  Journal  of  Alexander  Henry, 
Esq.,"  and  so  forth,  and  signed  "  Geoi^e  Coventry."  A 
page  of  "  Preliminary  Remarks  "  speaks  of  Mr.  Henry  in 
the  third  person,  and  notes  his  decease.  The  whole  copy 
makes  ostensibly  1,642  pages,  as  per  pagination  of  the 
folios;  the  paper  is  of  legal  cap  size,  rather  larger  than 
is  now  usual,  written  for  the  most  part  on  both  sides  of 
the  sheets,  and  bound  in  two  thick  volumes  now  pre- 
served  in  the  Library  of  Parliament  at  Ottawa.  By  the 
official  permission  of  the  authorities,  courteously  granted 
at  my  request,  and  by  business  arrangements  made  by  my 
publisher  with  Mr.  L.  P.  Sylvain,  the  assistant  librarian,  I 
obtained  a  clerical  copy  of  the  whole  of  this  manuscript, 
folio  for  folio,  with  the  exception  of  certain  insignificant 
portions,  notably  meteorological  tables,  which  I  did  not 
care  to  use.  The  manuscript  which  I  received  is  duly 
certified  by  Mr.  Sylvain  to  be  literally  true  to  copy ;  and 
great  care  was  taken  to  produce  a  faithful  transcript. 

The  identification  and  authenticity  of  the  Coventry  copy 
are  established  beyond  peradventure  of  a  doubt.    We  can 


Xll 


editor's  preface. 


also  settle  the  question  which  may  arise  in  some  mindi 
whether  these  manuscripts  represent  exactly  what  Henry 
himself  wrote,  or  are  what  Mr.  Coventry  wrote  out  for 
him,  from  original  memoranda.  The  Coventry  documents 
attest  their  own  genuineness  by  internal  evidence  which 
enables  us  to  form  a  safe  and  sure  conclusion.  Thus,  for 
instance :  as  explained  in  a  note  on  my  printed  p.  747, 
certain  folios  of  the  manuscript  retraverse  identical  dates, 
with  duplication  in  substance  of  what  is  said,  but  in  an 
entirely  different  style  of  composition.  One  of  these 
duplicates  agrees  in  every  peculiarity  of  locution  with 
the  main  body  of  the  writing,  and  is  thus  presumptively 
Henry's  own.  The  replica,  which  is  obviously  not  Henry's, 
but  Coventry's  own,  is  of  the  nature  of  editorial  rewriting, 
and  agrees  exactly  with  certain  other  writings  known  to  be 
Coventry's,  who  must  have  been  intending,  when  he  penned 
these  passages,  to  edit  his  Henry  materials  for  publication 
— as  the  replica  is  fitted  with  chapter  heads,  furnished  with 
something  in  the  nature  of  a  preface,  and  adorned  with 
religious  reflections  on  the  goodness  of  God  in  drowning  so 
estimable  a  man  as  Mr.  Henry — in  fine,  it  is  editorially 
dressed  for  the  press.  None  of  this  matter  has  proven 
available  for  my  own  purposes,  and  none  of  it  has  been 
used ;  but  its  existence  is  a  boon,  as  it  enables  us  to  decide 
that  the  main  body  of  this  writing  is  a  faithful  and  well- 
intended  transcript  of  Henry's  own  Journal,  made  by  one  so 
profoundly  ignorant  of  the  whole  subject  of  which  it  treats 
that  he  could  hardly  do  anything  else  than  copy  what  he 
found,  in  the  most  servile  and  wooden-headed  manner 
imaginable;  in  other  words,  he  did  not  know  enough  of 
what  he  was  about  to  make  other  than  clerical  errors, 
and  therefore  could  have  manufactured  nothing. 

But  the  comforting  assurance  I  felt,  in  handling  these 
documents,  that  I  had  to  do  with  genuine  as  well  as 
authentic  materials,  in  substance  and  practically  in  form 
Henry's  own,  did  not  resolve  my  fears  regarding  the  out- 
come of  my  editorial  enterprise.    To  begin  with,  there  was 


EDITOR  S  PREFACE. 


Xiii 


too  much  copy  for  a  book  of  reasonable  dimensions;  it 
needed  to  be  "  boiled  down  "  l.y  at  least  one*third.  In  the 
second  place,  Henry  in  his  writing  used  language  such  as 
no  fur  trader  ever  spoke — nor  anyone  else,  unless  English 
be  indeed  a  grammarless  tongue ;  for  solecism  seldom 
failed  to  supersede  syntax  in  his  maze  of  verbiage,  and 
sense  was  always  liable  to  be  lost  in  a  wilderness  of  words. 
The  composition  seemed  to  me  to  be  that  of  a  man  who 
knew  what  he  wanted  to  say,  and  could  talk  to  the  point 
about  it,  but  always  wrote  round  about  it,  as  if  he  had 
a  notion  that  writing  was  something  different  from  speak- 
ing, needing  bigger  words  and  more  of  them.  Thus,  our 
author  went  all  over  the  country,  but  always  "  proceeded  "  in 
his  Journal.  He  saw  a  great  deal,  in  fact,  but  never  failed 
to  "  perceive  "  or  "  observe  "  it  when  he  wrote  about  it ;  and 
whenever  he  had  to  get  ready  to  go  somewhere,  he  was 
likely  to  write :  "  I  now  once  more  found  myself  again  under 
the  necessity  of  being  obliged  to  commence  preparing  for 
my  intended  departure  immediately."  Imagining  that  few 
readers  would  have  the  patience  to  follow  him  to  the  end 
of  journeys  begun  in  that  fashion,  I  concluded  to  take  what 
grammatical  liberties  with  the  manuscript  I  saw  fit.  Dele- 
tion of  simply  superfluous  words,  and  of  sheerly  tauto- 
logical phrases,  made  it  shrink  about  one-fourth,  with 
corresponding  increase  in  tensile  strength  of  fiber.  An- 
other revision,  in  the  course  of  which  almost  every  sentence 
was  recast  in  favor  of  such  grammatical  pifopriety  as  could 
be  impressed  upon  the  composition  without  entirely  rewrit- 
ing it,  reduced  the  copy  to  about  two-thirds  of  its  original 
dimension;  and  the  upshot  of  all  this  "blue  penciling" 
was  a  textual  compromise  between  what  I  had  found 
written  and  what  I  might  have  preferred  to  write,  had  the 
composition  been  my  own.  Literary  elegance  being  clearly 
out  of  the  question,  however  cunningly  I  might  put  in  any 
little  dabs  and  touches,  I  was  perforce  satisfied  to  make 
my  author  say  what  he  meant  to  say  in  plain  English, 
letting  him  go  on  with  equal  pace  to  the  massacre  of  his 


xhf 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 


mother-in-law  or  the  setting  of  his  yellow  hen  on  thirteen 
eggs.  Closely  as  the  composition  may  resemble  a  school- 
boy's, the  literalism  is  that  of  a  mature  mind.  Henry  took 
himself  very  seriously  indeed,  and  wt.  must  take  him  at 
the  foot  of  the  letter. 

The  foregoing  explanation,  in  the  nature  of  semi-apology 
for  the  liberty  I  have  taken  with  historical  documents,  will 
not  be  deemed  superfluous  if  it  serves  to  satisfy  the  mind  of 
any  would-be  critic  who,  on  comparing  my  printed  pages 
with  the  manuscript  in  the  Library  of  Parliament,  observes 
with  surprise  or  regret  their  wide  discrepancy  in  language. 
I  do  not  pretend  to  have  printed  that  manuscript.  On  the 
contrary,  I  have  used  it  as  mater'.al  to  be  worked  up ;  and 
I  have  yet  to  state  what  further  compression  of  the  bulk  of 
the  original  was  required,  and  has  been  effected,  to  bring 
the  whole  within  a  desired  compass.  For  I  have  condensed 
to  the  utmost  some  parts  of  the  Journal,  and  even  have 
canceled  certain  entries  of  little  or  no  present  significance. 
Such  extremely  condensed  or  omitted  passages  relate  chiefly 
to  trivial  incidents  of  trade  so  much  alike  that  one  samples 
the  whole,  and  incessant  repetition  would  be  tiresome ;  to 
details  of  game  killed  for  the  support  of  the  posts ;  and  to 
weather-reports.  Even  the  most  modern  meteorological 
tables  interest  few  persons,  and  I  suppose  none  now  care 
much  about  the  weather  as  it  was  a  hundred  years  ago. 
Yet  I  have  set  myself  bounds  against  transgressing  upon  my 
author  in  this  particular,  for  everything  about  the  weather 
that  seemed  to  bear  upon  the  thread  of  his  narrative,  as 
affecting  his  movements,  as  influencing  the  fauna  or  flora, 
as  touching  acceleration  or  retardation  of  the  seasons,  has 
been  piously  preserved.  Despite  the  very  great  reduction 
and  other  modification  to  which  the  manuscript  has  neces- 
sarily been  subjected  in  passing  through  my  hands,  I  do 
not  think  that  I  have  omitted  or  obscured  a  single  matter 
of  fact  of  the  i^ilightest  significance,  or  subordinated  the 
author's  individuality  to  my  own.  I  have  simply  caused 
him  to  tell  his  own  story  as  plainly  as  he  evidently  wished 


editor's  preface. 


3CV 


to  tell  it,  and  supposed  that  he  was  telling  it ;  and  no  doubt 
the  resulting  picture  is  all  the  clearer  for  the  polishing.  I 
can  vouch  for  its  inviolate  fidelity  to  fact  throughout.  The 
trader  and  traveler  can  be  followed  with  perfect  confidence 
across  the  continent.  There  is  not,  to  my  knowledge,  a 
single  statement  in  the  book  that  can  be  seriously  questioned 
on  the  score  of  veracity.  Devoid  as  he  was  of  certain  ac- 
complishments desirable  in  one  who  aspires  to  authorship, 
and  writing  as  he  did  for  no  eye  but  his  ow**  Henry  ccr- 
tainly  produced  a  remarkable  work,  of  solid'  anc  .jermanent 
value.  It  is  one  which  should  have  appeared  long  ago,  and 
taken  its  rightful  place  in  contemporaneous  literature. 

Thus  far  in  explanation  of  my  connection  with  this  work 
I  have  appeared  simply  as  my  author's  literary  censor — 
mainly  in  mere  matters  of  grammar,  but  also  with  some 
further  privileges  of  the  blue  pencil.  But  more  agreeable 
and  significant  functions  than  those  of  the  schoolmaster 
abroad  attach  to  my  editorial  work  in  the  present  instance  ; 
and  how  I  have  tried  to  do  my  whole  duty  as  a  critic  and 
commentator  remains  to  be  said. 

Intending  to  interpret  Henry  to  a  generation  remote 
from  his  own,  and  remembering  the  measure  of  success 
attained  in  the  similar  cases  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  and  of 
Pike,  respectively — for  these  American  explorers  were 
Henry's  contemporaries,  who  cultivated  in  the  United 
States  a  field  of  adventure  which  may  be  compared  with 
that  occupied  by  Henry  in  the  British  possessions — I  under, 
took  to  put  upon  Henry's  Journal  an  extensive  critical  com- 
mentary, from  the  standpoint  of  our  present  knowledge. 
This  seemed  even  more  desirable  in  the  present  case  than 
in  those  of  the  American  explorers  just  named,  inasmuch  as 
he  was  unknown,  they  were  famous ;  inasmuch  as  his  work 
had  never  appeared,  while  theirs  had  already  passed  through 
many  editions ;  and  I  should  therefore  be  plowing  virgin 
ground  instead  of  formerly  cultivated  soil  that  had  long  lain 
fallow.  Satisfactory  equipment  for  this  undertaking  could 
only  be  acquired  by  going  over  the  whole  field  histc    .ally. 


xvi 


editor's  preface. 


At  the  conclusion  of  protracted  and  diligent  study  I  found 
myself  in  the  possession  of  some  4,500  memorandum  cards, 
alphabetically  arranged  by  subjects,  and  collectively  con< 
stituting  a  sort  of  private  cyclopedia  of  information 
concerning  the  Northwest  Company,  the  X.  Y.  Com- 
pany, the  fur  trade  of  those  days,  the  bourgeois,  their 
voyageurs  and  other  engages,  their  Indian  customers,  their 
trading-posts,  their  canoe-routes — and  what  not  in  the  way 
of  biography,  geography,  ethnography,  and  natural  history. 
Most  of  this  material  was  found  to  fit  in  with  Henry's  nar- 
rative to  a  nicety ;  and  even  the  residuum,  touching  points 
which  Henry  did  not  happen  to  bring  up,  was  available  for 
incorporation  alphabetically  in  the  Index  to  the  work. 
Most  of  my  information  was  drawn  afresh  from  its  original 
sources ;  but  I  also  utilized  the  labors  of  modem  historical 
authorities,  such  as  Masson  and  Tass6,  each  of  whom  has 
recently  given  us  an  invaluable  work  upon  subjects  germane 
to  our  present  'snterprise.  It  is  not  probable  that  the  name 
of  any  person,  either  of  tHe  Northwest  or  of  the  X.  Y.  Com- 
pany, which  appears  in  either  of  these  authors,  has  escaped 
me,  and  it  is  certain  that  many  more  than  have  ever 
appeared  in  print  before  are  given  in  the  present  work ;  so 
that  the  result,  in  this  one  biographical  particular,  represents 
a  closer  approach  to  a  complete  gazetteer  of  the  personnel 
of  the  two  companies,  from  the  humblest  of  their  engages  to 
the  most  redoubtable  leaders  of  those  great  enterprises,  than 
has  hitherto  been  given  to  the  public.  The  difficulty  of 
identifying  personal  names  in  these  old  records  is  well 
known  to  be  very  great,  for  various  reasons ;  most  of  those 
concerned  in  these  affairs  were  obscure  individuals,  whose 
memory  is  now  but  a  name,  oftentimes  so  unsettled  in 
orthography  that  a  dream  of  the  shadow  of  smoke  were 
scarcely  more  elusive ;  and  in  the  records  which  reach  us, 
furthermore,  it  is  often  only  a  surname  that  appears,  though 
it  may  have  been,  and  usually  was,  borne  by  several  differ- 
ent persons.  I  have  taken  the  utmost  pains  in  this  particu- 
lar ;  but  I  am  sure  that  in  my  notes,  as  well  as  in  Heniy's 


EDITOR  S  PREFACE. 


XVii 


text,  different  individuals  are  sometimes  confounded  under 
the  same  name,  and  again,  that  the  same  person  figures  in 
some  cases  as  two  or  more,  under  various  versions  of  his 
proper  name,  to  say  nothing  of  nicknames  or  aliases.  Yet 
I  suspect  that  the  alphabetical  list  of  personal  names  which 
appear  in  my  Index  is  at  once  the  most  extensive  and  the 
least  faulty  that  has  ever  been  published — though  far  from 
completion  or  perfection  it  certainly  is. 

To  turn  from  biographical  to  geographical  considerations, 
I  may  next  allude  to  the  great  care  I  have  exercised  in 
identifying  the  localities  named  in  Henry's  travel  or  resi- 
dence, and  in  giving  the  modern  equivalents  of  the  mostly 
obsolete  nomenclature  he  uses.  His  list  of  place-names  is 
remarkably  interesting,  the  designations  then  in  vogue  being 
dominated  by  the  influence  of  the  earlier  French  regime, 
which  continues  to  be  felt  to  the  present  day,  though  of 
course  less  markedly  than  it  was  in  his  time.  No  Fort  des 
Prairies  now  exists  by  such  name,  but  the  thing  still  flour- 
ishes in  the  shape  of  the  H.  B.  Company's  store  at  Edmon- 
ton, and  the  very  gradual  process  of  supplanting  the  old 
French  terminology  will  probably  never  be  quite  completed. 
Geographical  synonymy  is  a  subject  which  for  many  years 
has  occupied  my  attention ;  it  is  a  field  more  fruitful  of  his- 
torical data  than  most  persons  would  suppose,  and  one 
which  has  never  been  thoroughly  worked  out  for  any  con- 
siderable area  of  Western  or  Northwestern  America.  The 
trouble  seems  to  be  that  the  best  geographers'  have  seldom 
been  historians,  while  historians  so  g'^od  that  they  would 
blush  to  be  caught  afoul  of  a  date  wrong  by  a  day  are  often 
found  miles  out  of  the  way  in  the  location  of  their  events. 
Henry  was  no  geographer,  in  a  technical  sense,  and  not 
much  of  an  explorer,  even ;  he  never  traveled  for  health  or 
pleasure,  but  always  on  business,  and  made  no  actual  dis- 
coveries. Yet  he  was  a  great  traveler,  who  covered  an  im- 
mense area  both  by  land  and  water,  with  a  good  eye  for 
topography  en  route ;  he  was  also  well  able  to  say  where  he 
went  and  how  he  got  there.    Consequently,  I  have  found 


xviii 


editor's  preface. 


little  difficulty  in  trailing  him  through  all  the  intricacies  of 
his  canoe-routes — that  wonderful  system  of  waterways,  the 
like  of  which  may  be  looked  for  rather  in  the  myth  of  the 
Daedalian  labyrinth  than  in  the  geography  of  any  country 
but  that  which  he  traversed — over  the  limitless  prairie  of  a 
Dakota,  even  into  the  treacherous  sphagnum  of  a  muskeg. 
Henry  is  not  quite  so  easy  to  trail  as  Lewis  and  Clark  are, 
but  he  is  easier  by  far  to  follow  than  Pike,  for  example ; 
and  any  knack  of  going  by  "  sign  "  I  may  have  acquired  by 
former  experiences  has  stood  me  in  good  stead  in  the  pres* 
ent  case.  Henry's  routes  may  be  recovered  with  almost 
absolute  precision,  and  he  made  few  camps  in  all  his  journey- 
ings  that  I  cannot  now  set  with  hardly  any  probable  error. 
Few  men  who  have  ever  put  pen  to  ethnographical  paper 
have  had  more  extensive,  varied,  and  intimate  personal  ac- 
quaintance than  Henry  acquired  with  Indians  in  the  course 
of  his  long  experiences  as  a  trader  among  many  different 
tribes  of  distinct  linguistic  stocks,  from  the  Algonquians 
and  Siouans  of  his  earlier  experiences,  through  others  of  the 
Saskatchewan  and  Missouri,  to  the  r^tny  different  Pacific 
families  he  finally  met.  Intimately  connected  with  his  cus- 
tomers as  he  was,  thoroughly  versed  in  their  characters,  hab- 
its, and  manners  as  he  became,  he  had  no  sympathy  with 
them  whatever.  They  were  simply  the  necessary  nuisances 
of  his  business,  against  whom  his  antipathies  were  continu- 
ally excited  and  not  seldom  betrayed  in  his  narrative.  He 
detested  an  Indian  as  much  as  he  despised  a  Franco-Cana- 
dian voyageur,  or  hated  a  rival  of  the  H.  B.  or  X.  Y.  Com- 
pany. How  much  of  "  sweetness  and  light "  is  likely  to  seep 
and  shine  through  the  private  pages  of  a  man  whose  preju- 
dices were  invincible  and  sometimes  violent,  of  one  who  was 
quite  out  of  touch  with  his  own  environment,  the  reader 
may  judge  for  himself ;  as  he  may  also  observe  how  chary 
and  wary  I  have  been,  as  a  rule,  in  expressing  any  opinion 
of  the  moral  of  a  story  which  shows  up  the  seamy  side  of 
things  so  persistently  and  sometimes  so  obtrusively.  That 
is  no  metier  of  mine — who  am  I,  that  I  should  set  up  to 


■diyoe's  preface. 


xix 


keep  my  brother's  conicience  ?  I  have  left  the  risqu/  pai- 
sages  much  as  they  stand  in  copy,  only  Bowdlerizing  some 
expressions  that  were  doubtless  current  in  the  blunw  speech 
of  the  trading-post,  but  would  hardly  bear  print  now.  The 
book  is  not  virginibus  puerisque,  and  I  suppose  few  such,  if 
any,  will  ever  read  it.  Aside  from  any  question  of  chaste 
taste,  which  after  all  belongs  in  the  background  of  histori- 
cal relations  like  the  present,  and  need  agitate  no  one 
unduly,  I  am  persuaded  that  Henry's  disillusionment,  his 
practical  pessimism,  his  entire  lack  of  imagination,  and  his 
insistence  upon  bare  fact  through  sheer  infertility  of  inven- 
tion, have  conspired  to  a  singularly  veracious  contribution 
to  ethnology  in  all  that  he  has  to  say  of  his  Indians.  They 
are  the  genuine  aboriginal  articles,  not  the  mock  heroes  of 
Leatherstocking  romance.  Henry's  is  an  absolutely  unvar- 
nished tale,  in  which  no  question  of  a  fig-leaf  is  raised,  for 
the  reason  that  his  Indians  wear  their  breech-clouts  or  leave 
them  off  according  to  their  own  convenience,  without 
regard  to  our  own  ideas  of  propriety.  I  could  add  nothing 
to  such  a  picture  as  this,  and  would  not  if  I  could  ;  should 
anyone  desire  a  revelation  of  almost  inconceivable  and 
quite  unspeakable  nastiness,  let  him  read,  for  example,  the 
transparent  pages  of  Samuel  Hearne,  and  see  how  com- 
pletely they  corroborate  Henry,  as  far  as  the  latter  goes — 
for  he  leaves  unsaid  much  more  than  Hearne  does;  but 
with  the  impersonal  and  purely  ethnic  aspects  of  this  case 
I  have  dealt  from  the  standpoint  of  to-day,  in  giving  the 
accepted  classification  and  nomenclature  of  all  the  Indian 
tribes  and  linguistic  families  of  which  our  author  treats. 

Henry  was  familiar,  of  course,  with  all  the  animals  whose 
furs  or  pelts  had  any  commercial  value,  or  whose  flesh  was 
staple  of  food ;  but  he  was  no  naturalist,  and  there  is  little 
natural  history  in  his  book,  aside  from  his  extremely  inter- 
esting accounts  of  the  buffalo  and  other  large  game.  In 
zodlogy  and  botany,  therefore,  there  was  little  for  me  to  do ; 
but  I  have  identified  and  supplied  the  technical  names  of 
nearly  all  the  animals  and  plants  mentioned  in  his  narrative. 


j'i4aiii4iSl*tV'Jir,,-M!.' 


I  t 


XX 


editor's  preface. 


■ 

♦  ' 
i: 


■ 


ri 


No  account  of  my  connection  with  this  work  would 
approach  desirable  completeness  did  I  not  speak  emphat- 
ically of  the  use  I  have  made  for  the  present  purpose  of  the 
original  manuscripts  of  David  Thompson,  the  celebrated 
astronomer,  geographer,  explorer,  and  discoverer — in  a  word, 
the  scientist — first  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  then,  dur- 
ing the  whole  period  covered  by  Henry,  of  the  Northwest 
Company,  and  later  still  of  the  International  Boundary 
Commission  which  ran  the  line  between  the  British  posses- 
sions and  the  United  States.  I  have  so  effectually  bound 
up  Thompson's  life-work  in  the  Greater  Northwest  with 
that  of  Henry,  that  he  becomes  virtually  co-author  of  the 
present  publication,  upon  the  title-page  of  which  his  name 
appears  in  simple  justice  to  his  share  of  the  performance — 
albeit  the  main  text  consists  solely  of  Henry's  Journal, 
Thompson's  contributions  being,  like  my  own,  confined  to 
the  foot-notes. 

The  original  Thompson  documents,  in  his  own  hand- 
writing, are  preserved. intact  in  the  archives  of  the  Surveys 
Branch  of  the  Cruwn  Lands  Department  of  Ontario,  at 
Toronto,  where  I  was  courteously  given  free  access  to  and 
use  of  them,  at  different  times  in  1894  and  1895,  by  official 
vote  of  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  of  the  Ontario  Legis- 
lature. The  whole  span  of  these  precious  records  is  from 
1784  to  1850,  as  represented  by  the  extreme  dates  of  the 
successive  entries  in  the  series  of  about  40  volumes,  mostly 
of  foolscap  size,  and  for  the  most  part  averaging,  perhaps, 
100  pages  to  a  volume ;  besides  which  there  are  sundry 
unbound  pieces — I  made  a  minute  analysis  of  the  whole,  as 
a  bibliographer,  but  that  need  not  now  detain  us.  There  is 
also  one  very  lai^e  map,  manu  sua,  covering  the  region 
from  the  Great  Lakes  to  the  Pacific.  Some  of  the  most 
important  volumes  relate  to  Thompson's  life  after  1812, 
when  he  was  engaged  in  highly  responsible  professional 
duties  upon  the  Boundary  Survey  just  named;  but  with 
these  we  have  no  present  concern.  Thompson's  intimate 
connection  with  the  scenes  of  Henry's  Journal  was  in 


editor's  preface. 


xxi 


earlier  years,  say  1789-1812,  during  which  he  antedated  or 
codated  Henry  on  every  one  of  the  routes  which  the  latter 
ever  pursued.  The  Henry  and  Thompson  trails,  so  far  as 
the  former's  extend,  are  thus  conterminous,  and  to  some 
extent  coincident  in  dates.  Finding  frequent  mention  of 
Thompson  by  Henry,  I  recognized  the  close  relation 
of  much  of  the  Thompson  manuscript  with  the  whole  of 
Henry's,  and 'consequently  made  a  careful  study  of  the 
former  in  connection  with  the  latter.  Thompson's  records 
from  the  winter  of  1789-90,  when  he  was  at  Cumberland 
House  on  the  Saskatchewan,  to  Aug.  12th,  1812,  when  he 
left  Fort  William  on  Lake  Superior  for  Montreal,  thus  end- 
ing forever  his  explorations  in  the  Greater  Northwest,  are 
voluminous  and  almost  complete ;  there  is  hardly  a  break 
in  the  day-by-day  entries  for  these  23  years,  and  even  in 
the  few  instances  where  the  diary  is  interrupted  for  brief 
periods,  we  know  by  other  evidence  pretty  well  where 
Thompson  was.  I  worked  for  several  weeks  at  Toronto,  in 
1894  and  1895,  studying  these  manuscripts  and  preparing 
a  minute  digest  of  Thompson's  Journals  for  the  period  said 
— 1 789-1 8 1 2.  The  net  result  of  this  research,  in  so  far  as  it 
bears  in  any  way  upon  Henry,  will  be  found  embodied  in 
my  notes. 

It  has  long  been  a  matter  of  regret  among  those  versed 
in  the  history  and  geography  of  the  Greater  Northwest 
that  this  luminous  record  of  the  life-work  of  so  modest,  so 
meritorious  an  explorer  as  Thompson  was — of  so  scientific 
a  surveyor  and  so  great  a  discoverer — has  never  seen  the 
light,  either  under  government  patronage  or  by  private 
enterprise.  I  had  serious  thoughts  at  one  time  of  under- 
taking to  edit  Thompson,  at  least  for  the  period  down  to 
1812;  and  I  reluctantly  abandoned  the  idea  only  after 
examination  of  the  materials  had  satisfied  me  that  I  could 
advise  no  publisher  to  bring  out  such  a  work,  as  it  would 
be  expensive  beyond  any  reasonable  prospect  of  reimburse- 
ment. The  difficulty  in  the  case  is,  that  so  much  of  the 
manuscript  consists  of  astronomical  calculations,  traverse- 


II 


XXll 


editor's  preface. 


I.  ! 

« 

11 


i  . 


tables,  and  other  mathematical  data,  without  which  the 
matter  would  cease  to  be  Thompsonian,  yet  with  which  it 
would  he  largely  unreadable  and  quite  unsalable.  Even 
the  ostensibly  narrative  portions  are  notably  barren  of 
incident  beyond  simple  statements  of  arrivals,  departures, 
and  the  like ;  consisting  in  the  main  of  dated  entries  which 
cover  little  else  than  figuring  on  the  formal  courses  and 
distances  of  the  routes  pursued,  with  an  eye  fixed  on 
geodesy  and  geography.  It  is  true  that  Thompson  was 
a  fur  trader,  and  a  partner  of  the  Northwest  Company, 
actively  engaged  in  those  commercial  ventures  upon  which 
his  livelihood  depended  in  those  days,  exactly  as  Henry 
was ;  but,  unlike  the  latter,  he  had  no  turn  for  trade,  and 
never  minded  the  shop.  Business  was  Henry's  religion, 
and  science  was  Thompson's;  each  worshiped  his  own 
god  and  ciphered  cut  his  own  salvation  with  equal  method 
and  precision — the  one  figuring  out  pelf  from  pelt,  the 
other  casting  up  accounts  of  geodetic  points.  The  irony 
of  the  event  is  the  world's  revenge  on  David  Thompson ; 
but  the  world  can  never  be  allowed  to  forget  the  discoverer 
of  the  sources  of  the  Columbia,  the  first  white  man  who 
ever  voyaged  on  the  upper  reaches  and  main  upper  tribu- 
taries  of  that  mighty  river,  the  pathfinder  of  more  than 
one  way  across  the  Continental  Divide  from  Saskatchewan 
and  Athabascan  to  Columbian  waters,  the  greatest  geog- 
rapher of  his  day  in  British  America,  and  the  maker  of 
what  was  then  by  far  its  greatest  map^ — that  "  Map  of  the 
North- West  Territory  of  the  Province  of  Canada.  From 
actual  Survey  during  the  Years  1792  to  1812,"  as  the  legend 
goes.  This  map  has  never  before,  to  my  knowledge,  been 
published  as  a  whole  or  in  any  part ;  and  I  have  therefore 
the  pleasure  of  calling  attention  to  the  fact  that  three  sec- 
tions of  it,  covering  most  of  the  immense  territory  over 
which  we  now  accompany  Henry,  have  been  traced  in  fac- 
simile under  my  direction  expressly  for  the  present  work, 
and  should  be  found  in  the  cover-pocket  of  Vol.  HI., 
together  with  a  fourth  sheet,  which  reproduces  the  original 


editor's  preface. 


xxiii 


legend  of  the  whole.  These  several  pieces  are  reduced  to 
about  one-half  the  size  of  the  original ;  in  one  or  two  cases, 
where  the  bold  lettering  of  a  name  carried  part  of  it  beyond 
the  sections  transcribed,  it  has  been  independently  reduced 
by  the  draughtsman ;  Mr.  Harper's  copyright  of  this  im- 
print has  been  added  to  the  legend ;  otherwise  the  fac- 
simile is  perfect,  for  no  marks  appear  upon  these  sheets 
save  those  placed  on  the  original  map  by  Thompson's  own 
hand. 

With  the  voluminous  oificial  archives  above  described 
must  not  be  confounded  a  small  batch  If  Thompson's 
papers  recently  offered  for  sale  by  private  parties  in 
Toronto.  This  manuscript  is  authentic  and  genuine  ;  being 
a  summary  autobiography  which  Thompson  wrote  very 
late  in  life,  perhaps  about  1850,  apparently  in  hopes  of 
being  able  to  publish  it.  Thompson  died  Feb.  i6th,  1857, 
at  the  very  advanced  age  of  nearly  87  years,  having  been 
born  Apr.  30th,  1770.  The  handwriting  shows  painful 
evidence  of  senility,  and  I  should  hesitate  to  trust  to  his 
memory  for  dates  and  other  details  requiring  precision  of 
statement.  The  article  is  extremely  interesting,  and  would 
prove  very  valuable  should  it  be  checked,  as  it  easily  might 
be,  by  comparison  with  iiis  original  Journals.  I  under- 
stand that  this  manuscript  has  passed  into  the  excellent 
hands  of  Mr.  J.  B.  Tyrrell,  of  the  Geological  Survey  of 
Canada,  well  known  for  his  own  extensive  and  important 
explorations  in  the  Dominion.  Mr.  Tyrrell  has  already 
given  us  A  Brief  Narrative  of  the  Journeys  of  David  Thomp- 
son in  North-western  America,  which  was  read  before  the 
Canadian  Institute  Mar.  3d,  1888,  and  published  in  advance 
of  the  Proceedings  by  permission  of  the  Council,  as  an  8vo 
pamphlet  of  pp.  28,  Toronto,  1888.  It  is  much  to  be  hoped 
that  this  writing  may  appear  under  Mr.  Tyrrell's  very  com- 
petent editorship. 

To  the  statement  made  in  opening  this  Preface,  that 
Alexander  Henry  the  Younger  is  an  unknown  man,  excep- 


XXIV 


EDITORS  PREFACE. 


w  W 


tion  may  be  taken  to  the  extent  of  recognizing  the  fact  that 
extracts  from  certain  early  portions  of  the  Coventry  copy 
of  the  Journal  were  read  by  Mr.  C.  N.  Bell  before  the 
Historical  and  Scientific  Society  of  Manitoba,  and  published 
as  Transaction  No.  31,  8vo,  pp.9,  Winnipeg,  1888.  Beyond 
these  extracts,  relating  to  Henry's  residence  on  the  Red 
river  in  and  before  1801,  I  am  not  aware  that  any  portion 
of  his  manuscript  has  ever  appeared  in  print  before  the 
present  occasion.  A  copy  of  that  part  which  relates  to  his 
Mandan  tour  was  for  some  time  in  the  hands  of  Rev.  £.  D. 
Neill  of  St.  Pail,  Minn.,  by  whom  it  was  made  over  to  me 
unconditionally,  a  short  time  before  his  death.  This  frag- 
ment interested  me  so  much  that  I  immediately  prepared  it 
for  publication,  and  had  actually  handed  it  in  to  Mr.  Harper, 
when  I  was  induced  to  undertake  the  whole  work. 

It  will  be  to  consult  the  convenience  of  most  readers  to 
give  here  a  concise  account  of  the  three  parts  into  which 
Henry's  Journal  is  naturally  divisible.  Fart  I.  is  contermi- 
nous with  Vol.  I.  Parts  II.  and  III.  together  form  Vol.  II. 
The  Index  alone  makes  Vol.  III. 

Part  I.,  which  I  have  entitled  "  The  Red  River,"  runs 
from  1799  ^^  1808.  After  an  opening  fragment,  Henry  is 
found  en  route  from  Grand  Portage,  on  Lake  Superior,  and 
we  follow  him  closely  along  Rainy  river,  through  the  Lake 
of  the  Woods,  down  Winnipeg  river,  and  through  the  lake 
of  that  name,  to  the  Red  river,  up  which  he  proceeds  to 
the  mouth  of  Park  river,  where  he  builds  his  trading-post 
for  the  season  of  1800-01.  Next  year  he  establishes  the 
Pembina  post,  which  he  occupies  with  various  intermissions 
till  1808.  During  this  period  he  has  charge  of  the  North- 
west Company's  interests  throughout  the  region  now 
included  in  Minnesota,  Manitoba,  and  North  Dakota;  he 
establishes  various  outposts,  and  travels  about  a  great  deal. 
His  doings  are  pictured  to  the  life,  with  a  realism  that 
rivals  a  Zola's,  and  much  that  he  has  to  say  of  the  Ojibways 
and  other  Indians  is  of  absorbing,  even  startling,  interest. 
During  this  period  we  accompany  him  on  many  journeys, 


editor's  preface. 


XXV 


and  see  things  as  they  were  all  over  the  country.  The 
most  notable  of  these  travels  is  the  Mandan  tour  of  1806, 
full  of  adventure,  and  full  of  curious  information  regarding 
the  sedentary  tribes  of  the  Missouri. 

Part  II.,  "The  Saskatchewan,"  shows  our  hero — our  com- 
mercial traveler  and  mutual  friend — in  an  entirely  different 
environment.  Having  been  ordered  to  take  charge  of  one 
of  the  Forts  des  Prairies  which  were  then  operated  on  the 
North  Saskatchewan,  he  leaves  Pembina  and  proceeds 
through  Lake  Winnipeg  to  navigate  the  great  waterway 
which  reaches  thence  to  the  Rocky  mountains.  This  jour- 
ney is  described  minutely  and  graphically,  enabling  us  to 
follow  every  stroke  of  the  paddle,  and  inciting  the  editor  to 
an  extensive  commentary  upon  the  histogeography  of  an 
immense  region.  During  1808-11  Henry  is  in  charge  of 
three  different  Saskatchewan  posts — Fort  Vermilion,  Terre 
Blanche,  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  house ;  he  makes  long 
overland  journeys,  including  one  with  dog-sledges  in  the 
depth  of  winter  to  the  Continental  Divide ;  there  is  not  a 
single  mile  of  the  great  river  he  does  not  navigate ;  and  he 
lives  in  close  relations  with  all  the  Indian  tribes  of  Sas- 
katchewan and  Alberta,  of  whom  he  treats  at  great  length 
and  in  due  form,  apart  from  his  personal  narrative. 

In  all  these  wanderings  which  occupy  Parts  I.  and  II. 
Henry  is  either  shadowed  or  foreshadowed  by  the  unique 
figure  of  the  ubiquitous  David  Thompson.  I  have  taken 
pains  to  collate  my  digests  of  Thompson's  journals  with 
Henry's  text,  and  nowhere  else  do  the  two  records  so  amplify 
and  verify  each  other  as  throughout  the  upper  Saskatche- 
wan and  Rocky  Mountain  region  during  the  years  1808-11. 
These  were  exactly  the  times  of  Thompson's  most  energetic 
and  furthest-reaching  exploits.  On  the  Atlantic  side  of 
the  mountains  the  two  men  were  repeatedly  together, 
though  they  never  seemed  to  fancy  each  other  particularly ; 
and  on  the  Pacific  side,  the  scene  of  travels  and  discoveries 
on  Thompson's  part  which  Henry  did  not  share,  and  con- 
cerning which  the  least  has  been  accurately  known  of  all 


't':^T-'*"'WV'  ■ 


xxvi 


editor's  preface. 


iti 


Thompson's  movements  and  establishments,  I  have  enjoyed 
unequaled  facilities  for  supplementing  Henry's  narrative 
with  an  account  of  Thompson's  operations  in  British 
Columbia,  Montana,  Idaho,  Oregon,  and  Washington. 

Part  III.,  "The  Columbia,"  opens  after  a  break  of  about 
two  years  in  the  Henry  manuscripts.  Late  in  1813,  Henry 
has  made  a  trans-continental  journey  and  appears  at  Astoria 
— or  Fort  George,  as  it  becomes  shortly  after  his  arrival. 
His  Journal  of  1813-14,  minutely  and  precisely  kept  up  to 
the  day  before  his  death  by  drowning  in  the  mouth  of  the 
Columbia,  is  particularly  valuable  as  a  historical  document. 
Most  of  his  time  was  spent  at  his  post,  but  he  also  made 
extensive  voyages  on  the  Columbia  and  Willamette.  At 
this  time  Henry  was  personally  associated  with  each  one  of 
the  three  men  who  have  been  until  now  our  chief  authorities 
upon  the  early  history  of  Astoria  and  the  affairs  of  the 
Pacific  Fur  Company,  with  which  he  became  thoroughly  con- 
versant. His  work  is  so  important  a  concordance  that  if 
Franch&re,  Cox,  and  Ross  be  regarded  as  the  three  synoptical 
writers  of  Astoria,  then  Henry  furnishes  the  fourth  gospel. 
The  extreme  interest  of  this  matter  has  induced  me  to  go 
into  great  detail  in  my  notes,  and  I  have  reason  ^o  believe 
that  much  new  light  has  been  thrown  on  AstoVian  history. 
Had  Irving  commanded  the  resources  which  Henry  places 
at  our  disposal,  his  famous  romance  would  have  been  no 
less  entertaining  and  mir'  t  have  become  more  historical. 

The  amount  of  informacion  which  Henry  and  Thompson 
give  us  in  these  volumes,  together  with  that  which  I  have 
contributed  to  their  joint  work,  may  be  appreciated  by 
glancing  through  the  Index,  where  the  names  of  persons, 
places,  and  other  things  mentioned  in  these  writings 
occupy  more  than  one  hundred  double-column  pages. 

There  only  remains  the  pleasurable  duty  of  making  the 
acknowledgments  due  to  those  who  have  in  any  way  facil- 
itated my  researches  or  otherwise  contributed  to  the  gen- 
eral result  of  these  investigations.  Authors  whose  published 
writings  have  been  consulted  are  in  each  instance  duly  cited 


EDITORS  PREFACE. 


XXVll 


in  my  notes ;  they  are  very  numerous,  as  I  have  availed 
myself  of  practically  the  whole  of  the  literature  which  bears 
iAimediately  upon  the  subject  in  hand.  But  I  am  more 
particularly  and  personally  indebted  to  many  friends  and 
correspondents,  both  in  Canada  and  in  the  United  States, 
who  have  shown  me  those  official  favors  without  which  it 
would  have  been  impossible  to  take  up  the  work,  or  have 
cheered  and  encouraged  my  labor  with  evidences  of  their 
interest  in  its  success.  I  have  specially  to  thank  Mr. 
Charles  C.  James,  Deputy  Minister  of  Agriculture  of 
the  Province  of  Ontario,  for  many  friendly  attentions  ren- 
dered, both  in  person  and  by  correspondence,  throughout 
the  progress  of  the  work,  in  the  course  of  which  he'  favored 
me  repeatedly  with  valued  suggestions  and  criticisms,  and 
was  kind  enough  to  supervise  the  transcription  of  the 
Thompson  map.  Great  courtesies  were  also  shown  me  by 
Mr.  Archibald  Blue,  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  Mines ;  by 
Mr.  Aubrey  White,  Assistant  Commissioner  of  Crown 
Lands;  Mr.  George  B.  Kirk^iatrick,  Director  of  Sur- 
veys, Crown  Lands  Department,  in  whose  office  the  Thomp- 
son MSS.  are  preserved ;  and  by  the  Members  of  the 
Cabinet  of  the  Legislature  of  Ontario,  which  voted  to  place 
these  recor(ls  at  my  disposition,  namely :  Hon.  Sir  Oliver 
Mowat,  Premier  and  Attorney  General  (now  Minister  of 
Justice  for  Canada);  Hon.  Arthur  S.  Hardy,  Commis- 
sioner of  Crown  Lands  (now  Premier  of  Ontario);  Hon. 
John  Dryden,  Minister  of  Agriculture;  Hon.  George  W. 
Ross,  Minister  of  Education ;  Hon.  William  Harty,  Com- 
missioner of  Public  Works;  Hon.  Richard  Harcourt,  Pro- 
vincial Treasurer;  Hon.  John  M.  Gibson,  Provincial 
Secretary  (now  Commissioner  of  C'own  Lands) ;  and  Mr. 
S.  T.  Bastedo,  Private  Secretary  of  the  Premier.  The  trac- 
ing of  the  Thompson  map  was  carefully  executed  by  Mr. 
Charles  J.  Murphy  of  Unwin,  Foster,  Murphy,  and  Esten, 
Draughtsmen,  Toronto.  The  original  MSS.  of  Gabriel 
Franchfere  were  shown  me  by  Mr.  James  Bain,  Jr.,  of  the 
Public  Library  of  Toronto. 


&'»-A^k^^^4u!^;.'^: 


■  '.^£aijsaiM>Liia!Jtiik^'. ' 


V' 
'Si* 


( 


xxviii 


EDITOR  S  PREFACE. 


I  have  further  to  recognize  with  gratitude  the  courtesies 
extended  to  me  in  person  while  I  was  in  Ottawa,  or  subse> 
quently  by  correspondence,  by  Dr.  Alfred  R.  C.  Selwyn, 
Deputy  Head  and  Director  of  the  Geological  Survey  of 
Canada;  by  his  successor  in  that  important  office,  my 
friend  Dr.  George  M.  Dawson  ;  by  Professor  John  Macoun 
and  Mr.  J.  B.  Tyr.-ell,  both  of  the  same  Survey;  by  Mr. 
Otto  J.  Klotz,  of  the  Liternational  Boundary  Commission, 
Department  of  the  Interior;  by  Mr.  Douglas  Brymner, 
Canadian  Archivist,  and  his  assistant,  the  late  Mr.  Joseph 
Marmette.  Permission  to  copy  the  Henry  MSS.  was  kindly 
granted  by  the  authorities  of  the  Library  of  Parliament  at 
Ottawa,  Mr.  A.  D.  De  Celles,  General  Librarian,  and  Mr. 
Martin  J.  Griffin,  Parliamentary  Librarian ;  and  the  tran- 
script was  made  under  the  personal  supervision  of  Mr. 
Louis  Philippe  Sylvain,  Assistant  Librarian. 

I  am  also  under  obligations  in  various  ways  to  Mr.  J.  M. 
LeMoine  of  Spencer  Grange,  Quebec ;  Captain  H.  M.  Chit- 
tenden, Corps  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  Army ;  Mr.  O.  B.  Wheeler, 
Assistant  Engineer,  Missouri  River  Commission,  St.  Louis, 
Mo.;  Professor  Charles  Sprague  Sargent,  of  the  Arnold 
Arboretum  of  Harvard  University,  Jamaica  Plain,  Mass.; 
the  late  Professor  G.  Brown  Goode,  then  Director  of  the 
U.  S.  National  Museum ;  Dr.  Theodore  Gill,  of  the  Smith- 
sonian Institution;  Major  John  W.  Powell,  Director  of  the 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Ethnology ;  Mr.  F.  W.  Hodge,  of  the  same 
Bureau ;  Mr.  Byron  Andrews  of  New  York  City ;  particu- 
larly, to  Mrs.  Mary  B.  Anderson  of  Washington,  D.  C, 
who  indexed  the  work  so  thoroughly  that  her  co-operation 
alone  forms  Vol.  III.;  and  finally,  to  my  esteemed  pub- 
lisher, Mr.  Francis  P.  Harper  of  New  York,  whose  liberal 
and  enterprising  spirit  left  me  entirely  without  restrictions 
regarding  the  length  to  which  I  might  go  in  editing  the 

Henry-Thompson  Journals. 

Elliott  Coues. 

1726  N  Street,  Washington,  D.  C. 
October  2$tA,  1896. 


HENRYS  JOURNAL 


rartf. 

rff:^  -^-ffi?  RIVER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

MY  nRST  VENTURE,   1799-18OO. 

HUTUMN,  1799.  While  building  at  Rivifcre  Terre 
Blanche  [White  Mud  river'],  near  the  foot  of  Fort 
Dauphin  [Riding]  mountain,  my  Russia  sheeting  tent  was 
pitched  in  a  low  place  on  the  lower  branch  of  the  little  river, 
sheltered  from  the  wind,  among  some  tall  elms  and  oaks. 
I  was  accustomed  to  sit  up  late,  with  a  candle  burning  in  my 
tent,  for  some  time  after  the  fires  had  been  put  out.  Some 
of  my  people,  who  had  occasion  to  sleep  away  from  home, 
a  sured  me  that  from  their  camp,  which  was  about  12  miles 
L.  of  us,  they  could  distinctly  perceive  this  light,  which  they 

*  Henry's  Journal  opens  thus  abrupdy,  without  a  word  of  his  journey  to  the 
place.  But  we  learn  from  other  sources  that  he  came  from  Montreal,  by  the 
usual  route — the  portion  of  which  from  Lake  Superior  westward  will  be  par- 
ticularly noted  beyond.  His  present  temporary  position  is  not  determinable  with 
greater  precision  than  the  text  affords  ;  it  is  in  the  Macdonald  district  of  the 
Province  of  Manitoba,  some  3S-40  m.  W.  N.  W.  of  Portage  la  Prairie.  The 
stream  named  traverses  the  district  eastward  to  fall  into  the  S.  W.  angle  of 
Lake  Manitoba,  between  places  called  Totogon  and  Lakeland  ;  the  two  prin- 
cipal places  upon  it  are  Neepawa  and  Gladstone  ;  some  of  its  lower  branches 
are  Pine,  Squirrel,  and  Rat  crs. 

Other  geographical  notes  on  points  raised  by  incidental  mention  in  this  frag- 
mentary chapter  are  best  deferred  to  some  more  appropriate  connection ;  all 
such  will  be  found  beyond. 


■^ 


2  A  SHORT  JOURNEY— HUNTERS'  TERMS. 

observed  to  be  extinguished  about  midnight,  when  I  used  to 
go  to  bed.  Several  Indians  assured  me  of  the  same  circum- 
stances. I  could 'only  account  for  this  by  supposing  the 
reflection  of  the  candle-light  among  the  tops  of  the  trees 
to  have  caused  this  unusual  illumination  to  be  conveyed  to 
such  a  distance,  as  it  was  impossible,  from  the  low  situation 
of  my  station,  that  my  fire  could  have  been  seen  through 
the  woods  among  which  I  was  tented. 

In  the  fall  of  1799  I  performed  a  short  journey  alone  on 
horseback  from  my  winter-qitarters  to  Portage  la  Prairie, 
one  of  our  establishments  on  the  Assiniboine.  The  distance 
was  not  more  than  1 2  or  1 5  leagues.  I  left  my  house  early 
in  the  morning,  on  an  excellent  horse.  My  route  lay 
directly  across  an  open  plain  for  15  or  20  miles.  About  the 
middle  of  the  traverse  I  was  suddenly  seized  with  a  violent 
colic  ;  the  pain  was  so  great  that  I  could  not  keep  my  sad- 
dle. I  therefore  dismounted,  hoppled  my  horse,  and  threw 
myself  on  the  grass,  where  I  lay  in  agony  for  two  hours, 
expecting  every  moment  would  be  the  last ;  until,  quite 
exhausted,  I  feel  asleep.  But  I  was  soon  awakened  by  the 
howling  of  a  number  of  wolves  that  surrounded  me.  The 
pain  had  entirely  left  me,  V  at  I  was  so  weak  as  to  be  scarcely 
able  to  mount  my  horse.  I  proceeded  at  a  slow  walk,  as 
my  entrails  could  not  bear  the  rough  motion  of  a  trot.  In 
this  manner  I  escciped  from  the  wolves,  which  had  prob- 
ably viewed  me  as  their  prey. 

In  1799,  at  my  winter-quarters  on  the  Terre  Blanche,  ani- 
mals were  so  scarce  as  to  oblige  me  to  hire  my  hunters  upon 
extravagant  terms:  For  every  moose  [A/ces  machlis],  six 
skins ;  *  for  every  red  deer,*  five  skins ;  to  be  paid  for  in 

'  That  is,  the  value  of  six  beaver  skins,  taken  out  in  trade :  see  Pike,  ed. 
1895,  p.  383,  for  the//M.r  as  a  standard  of  value  in  the  fur-trade. 

*  Henry  so  designates  the  American  elk  or  wapiti,  la  biche  of  the  French, 
Cervui  canadensis  of  naturalists,  which  in  this  country  represents  the  red  deer  of 
Europe,  C.  elaphus,  and  would  naturally  be  taken  by  him  for  the  same  animal. 
The  relationship  of  the  two  is  very  close  indeed,  and  "  red  deer  "  is  less  of  a 
misnomer  than  "  elk,"  which  is  the  Scandinavian  name  o<  Alces  machlis,  an 
animal  closely  related  to  our  moose,  if  not  the  same.     Henry's  phrase  "red' 


\ 


A  LITTLE  TEMPERANCE  TRACT.  5 

whatever  article  of  dry  goods  they  might  think  proper  to 
take,  at  the  low  price  of  four  skins  for  a  fathom  of  com- 
mon blue  strouds  or  a  blanket  of  3y^  points,  and  other 
goods  in  proportion;  silver-work  at  their  choice  in  any 
quantity  and  very  cheap.  Besides  this  dear  bargain  I  gave 
my  two  men,  their  wives,  and  all  their  children,  each  a  full 
clothing  of  the  best  goods  in  my  store;  with  a  9-gallon 
keg  of  Saulteur  liquor  *  to  each  man.  I  also  furnished 
them  with  guns,  knives,  ammunition,  tobacco,  other  articles 
necessary  for  a  hunter,  and  an  allowance  of  two  gallons  of 
liquor  for  every  10  animals  they  might  kill.  Even  upon 
these  hard  terms  I  was  obliged  to  consider  it  a  great  favor 
they  did  me.  Animals  were  so  scarce  that  we  suffered 
much  from  hunger.  On  Dec.  19th,  20th,  and  21st  we  ate 
nothing  till  the  evening  of  the  last  day,  when  I  received  a 


deer "  it  contmted  with  hi*  use  of  "  fallow  deer,"  for  the  common  deer  of 
North  America,  Cariacus  virgimanuti  but  the  true  fallow  deer  is  Damaplaty- 
eeros,  a  European  species. 

*  Alcohol  or  "  high  wine,"  diluted  to  suit  an  Ojibway  Indian's  stomach,  a> 
regarded  from  a  commercial  rather  than  digestive  standpoint.  Indians  already 
debauched  would  not  stand  so  much  water  as  fresh  tribes  could  be  induced  to 
exchange  beaver  skins  for,  and  hence  a  difference  in  recognized  degrees  of  dilu- 
tion in  different  cases.  On  the  Red  and  Assiniboine  rivers,  about  1800,  it  was 
no  uncommon  thing  for  an  Indian  to  give  five  or  six  prime  beavers  for  a  quart 
of  "  Saulteur  liquor" — a  gill  or  two  of  alcohol,  the  rest  water.  For  example, 
Tanner's  Narr.,ed.  James,  1830,  p.  70,  tells  how  liberally  Netnokwa,  an  influen- 
tial old  lady  among  the  Ojibways,  conducted  her  drinking-bouts :  "  In  the  course 
of  a  single  day,  she  sold  lao  beaver-skins,  with  a  large  quantity  of  buffalo  robes, 
dressed  and  smoked  skins,  and  other  articles,  for  rum.  It  was  her  habit,  when- 
ever she  drank,  to  make  drunk  all  the  Indians  about  her,  at  least  as  far  as  her 
means  would  extend.  Of  all  our  large  load  of  peltries,  the  product  of  so  many 
days  of  toil,  of  so  many  long  and  difficult  journeys,  one  blanket  and  three  kegs 
of  rum  only  remained,  besides  the  poor  and  almost  worn  out  cloathing  on  our 
bodies."  Keating's  Long's  Exped.  II,  1894,  p.  67,  states  that  one  Desmarais 
(prcbably  Henry's  man,  of  whom  we  shall  hear  more)  bought  of  an  Indian 
about  1 30  beaver  skins  for  two  3-point  blankets,  eight  quarts  of  rum,  and  a 
pocket  looking-glass ;  these  goods,  rated  at  $30,  probably  did  not  cost  $15  ; 
and  the  skins  were  sold  in  Montreal  for  upward  of  $400. 

Henry  or  his  copyist  spells  Saulteur  in  five  or  six  ways,  which  I  shall  reduce 
to  the  form  above  given :  see  Pike,  ed.  189S,  p.  30,  where  the  origin  of  the 
name  is  noted. 


4  ADVANCE  OF  SPRING  IN  MANITOBA. 

moose's  head,  which  was  boiled  and  divided  among  17  per- 
sons.  This  winter,  179^1800,  we  considered  one  of  the 
most  extraordinary  known  for  many  years.  Early  in 
November  we  had  an  extremely  heavy  fall  of  snow ;  but 
the  rest  of  the  season  was  open  and  mild. 

Feb.  t^th,  1800.  I  left  my  house  for  Riviire  Qu'Appelle 
[or  Calling  river  J.  The  snow  was  then  melted  in  many 
places  on  the  plains.  During  my  journey,  which  occupied 
16  days,  we  saw  only  two  bulls  [Bison  americanus]  between 
Montagne  k  la  Bois  [Bosse]  and  Rivifere  Qu'Appelle. 
"  Hunger  I  "  was  the  general  cry  at  our  establishments  along 
the  Assiniboine. 

Early  in  March  the  snow  was  entirely  gone;  we  were 
obliged  to  abandon  our  dog-sleigh  at  Rivifcre  la  Souris 
[Mouse  river],  and  put  our  goods  upon  horses.  7M.  I  saw 
a  few  vultures  [turkey-buzzards,  Cathartes  aura]  and  cormo- 
rants \Phalacrocorax  dilophus]  at  Riviire  du  Milieu,  tjth. 
A  flock  of  swans  [Olor  americanus  or  O.  buccinator']  at  my 
winter.quarters.  i6th.  Ducks  and  other  spring  birds.  20th. 
We  made  sugar  of  the  bastard  maple  [ash-leaved  maple, 
Negundo  aceroides],  24th.  The  meadows  on  fire.  2'/th, 
Mosquitoes  began  to  plague  us. 

April  nth.  The  Terre  Blanche  havi.ig  been  clear  of  ice 
for  some  time,  I  embarked  in  my  canoe  for  Portage  la 
Prairie.  Weather  excessively  hot.  Wild  pigeons  [Ectopistes 
migratorius]  passing  N.  in  great  abundance.  In  a  few  days 
we  experienced  a  dreadful  snowstorm,  which  continued  with 
great  violence  for  three  days,  when  there  were  three  feet  of 
snow  upon  the  ground ;  but  it  did  not  remain  long. 

This  campaign  mjr  house  expense   'or  17  persons  were,    .     ijoo  skin* 
I  gave  out  in  debts  in  the  fall,  to  t» '  Saulteur  Indians,  98a  " 

Received  in  the  course  of  the  season,  618  " 

Loss, 364    " 


Total  coat, 1864  skins 

Notwithstanding  this  heavy  expense  am'  loss,  amounting 
to  1864  skins,  mostly  prime  goods,  and  although    I  was 


PROFIT  OF  THE   FIRST  CAMPAIGN. 


Strongly  opposed  by  a  neighbor,  of  the  T  Association  from 
Montreal,  I  had  a  clear  profit  of  upward  of  j^^oo,  Halifax 
currency,  on  the  outfit  of  loading  i  yi  canoes,  containing  40 
pieces  of  goods. 

This  campaign  was  my  first  faitp  d'essai  in  the  North, 
west. 


f 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  RED  RIVER  BRIGADE  OF   18OO. 

^'HE  route  from  Grand  Portage  to  Lake  Winnipeg  is  too 
^  well  known  to  require  description.  I  shall,  therefore, 
only  keep  memoranda  of  the  successive  obstructions  to 
our  daily  progress.' 

Saturday,  July  igth,  1800,  j  p.  m.  Our  baggage  and 
other  necessaries  having  been  carried  over  the  portage, 
which  is  about  nine  miles,  our  men  fully  equipped  for  the 
year,  and  their  accounts  settled,  I  set  off  for  Fort  Charlotte, 
where  I  arrived  at  5  p.  m.  The  portage  was  very  bad  in 
some  places,  being  knee-deep  in  mud  and  clay,  and  so  slip- 
pery as  to  make  walking  tedious.* 

'  On  the  regular  Rainy  River  route,  from  Lake  Superior  to  Lake  Winnipeg. 
Starting  from  the  place  still  known  as  Grand  Portage,  it  went  overland  9  m.  to 
Fort  Charlotte,  o^  Pigeon  r.,  up  this  river,  down  Rainy  r.  to  Lake  of  the 
Woods,  through  this  lake  to  Winnipeg  r. ,  and  down  the  latter  to  Lake  Winnipeg. 
From  Pigaon  r.  to  Lake  of  the  Woods  the  route  is  identical  with  the  present 
international  boundary  between  the  United  States  and  Canada,  separating  the 
State  of  Minnesota  from  the  Province  of  Ontario.  The  text  is  a  bare  itinerary, 
with  little  incident  or  description,  but  it  is  interesting  in  giving  the  names  of 
places  in  the  vernacular  of  the  voyageurs  at  the  beginning  of  this  century.  We 
shall  be  able  co  follow  Henry  closely,  and  'i  will  take  occasion  to  collate  the 
accounts  of  vanous  other  early  travelers — notably  of  David  Thompson,  of  whose 
unpublished  mi'nuscripts  I  possess  copious  notes.  He  generally  uses  the 
English  equivalents  of  Henry's  French  names,  enabling  us  to  compare  the  two 
sets  of  terms  with  each  other  and  with  modem  designations.  The  best  early 
account  of  the  route  is  in  Sir  A.  McKenzie's  classic,  orig.  ed.  4to,  London, 
1801,  pp.  xlviii-Ixii. 

*  Grand  Portage,  of  the  French  and  English,  was  primarily  the  designation 
of  the  lor  g  rarrying-place  over  which  baggage  was  taken  on  men's  shoulders 
from  a  poi  ^t  on  Lake  Superior  to  a  point  on  Pigeon  r  ,  9  m.  distant ;  but  it 
speedily  became  the  name  of  the  place  on  the  lake  whence  the  start  was  made, 
and  also  the  title  of  various  establishments  there.  The  situation  is  about  47" 
58'  N.,  89*  39'  W.,  by  U.  S.  charts,  on  Grand  Portage  bay  (too  shallow  for 

6 


THE  START  FROM  GRAND  PORTAGE.  7 

Sunday,  July  20th.  The  canoes  having  been  given  out 
to  the  men,  to  gum  and  prepare,  I  found  cverjrthing  ready 
for  our  departure  ;  and  early  this  morning  gave  out  to  all 
their  respective  loading,  which  consisted  of  28  packages  per 
canoe,  assorted  for  the  Saulteur  trade  on  Red  river,  namely : 

Merchandise,  90  pounds  each, 5  bales 

Canal  tobacco, '  b*^* 

Kettles, »b*l« 

Guns lease 

Iron  works, '  case 

New  twist  tobacco, a  roU* 

Leaden  balls,  a  bags 

Leaden  shot, i  bag 

Flour .        .        .        .  ibag 

Sugar 1  keg 

Gunpowder, *  kegs 

High  wine.  9  gallons  each, 10  kegs 

Total,       ......  38  pieces 

vessels  to  land,  and  separated  by  Hat  point  from  Wauswaugoning  bay),  in  which 
is  the  small  Grand  Portage  isl.  The  most  conspicuous  object  in  the  vicinity  is 
the  hill  now  called  Mt.  Josephine,  703  ft.  high  (Thompson  made  it  741  ft.  11 
ins.).  The  N.  W.  establishment  there,  before  and  after  1800,  was  a  stockaded 
post,  24  X  30  rods,  on  the  edge  of  the  bay  and  under  thn  hill ;  it  was  long  a 
famous  rendezvous  of  the  Northmen,  who  were  assembled  sometimes  to  the 
number  of  more  than  a  thousand.  It  was  abandoned  in  1803,  headquarters 
being  then  removed  to  Kaministiquia  (Fort  William).  In  1785  the  old  fort 
was  in  charge  of  Mr.  Croutier,  with  Mr.  Givins  of  Montreal  as  clerk.  In  the 
spring  of  that  year  Gregory,  McLeod  &  Co.  started  a  rival  post  in  charge  of 
Pierre  Lanniau  or  L'Anneau,  with  Roderick  McKenzie  as  clerk,  and  18  voy> 
ageurs.  The  X.  Y.  Co.  post  was  built  in  1797,  about  aoo  rods  from  that  of  the 
N.  W.  Co.,  across  a  small  stream  which  makes  into  the  bay.  The  elder  Henry 
says  that,  when  he  arrived  at  Grand  Portage,  June  38th,  1775,  he  "  found  the 
traders  in  a  state  of  extreme  hostility,  each  pursuing  his  interests  in  such  a 
manner  as  might  most  injure  his  neighbour,"  p.  339.  Fort  Charlotte  was  the 
N.  W.  Co.  post  at  the  other  end  of  the  portage,  on  Pigeon  r.  The  labor  of 
land-carriage  was  great ;  McKenzie  says,  p.  xliv.,  that  each  voyageur  was 
required  to  carry  eight  of  the  ordinary  packages  or  pieces ;  but  if  more  were  to 
be  transported,  the  man  was  allowed  a  Spanish  dollar  for  each  one.  "  I  have 
known  some  of  them,"  he  adds,  to  "  set  off  with  two  packages  of  90  pounds 
each,  and  return  with  two  others  of  the  same  weight,  in  the  course  of  six  hours, 
being  a  distance  of  18  miles." 
Pigeon  r.,  also  called  Dove  r.,  derives  these  names  from  the  F.  phrase  Riviire 


rr^ 


<—tmm 


ill 


i  ! 


\J 


z 


PIGEON  RIVER— PARTRIDGE  PORTAGE,  ETC. 


Equipage  for  the  voyage:  Provisions  for  four  men  to 
Red  river,  4  bags  corn,  i^  bushels  in  each  ;  }4  keg  grease ; 
4  packages,  of  about  90  pounds  each,  private  property  be^ 
longing  to  the  men,  consisting  of  clothing,  tobacco,  etc., 
for  themselves  and  families  for  the  year ;  so  that  when  all 
hands  were  embarked,  the  canoes  sunk  to  the  gunnel. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  brigade  were  all  off,  and  at  three 
o'clock  I  followed.  The  water  was  very  low.  In  a  short 
time  we  came  to  Partrid{.  j  portage,*  of  about  600  paces 
over.  The  road  was  very  slippery  and  muddy.  Having 
got  our  baggage  over,  we  embarked  and  proceeded  to  the 
Prairie,  where  our  people  were  camped.  All  were  merry 
over  their  favorite  regale,  which  is  always  given  on  their 
departure,  and  generally  enjoyed  at  this  spot,  where  we 
have  a  delightful  meadow  to  pitch  our  tents,  and  plenty  of 
elbow-room  for  the  men's  antics. 

/ufy  2ist.  The  canoes  were  early  on  the  water  with  half 
a  load,  which  was  conveyed  to  Grosse  Roche.*  There  we 
found  the  water  so  low  that  we  were  obliged  to  carry  all 
our  baggage  and  canoes  over  for  about  1,000  paces,  through 
a  path  made  bad  by  a  number  of  pines  which  had  lately 
been  blown  down.    We  then,  by  means  of  halfJoads,  pro- 

aax  Tourtres,  or  the  River  of  Turtles,  sc,  turtle-doves,  probably  referring  to 
the  passenger-pigeon,  Ectopistes  migratorius.  The  phrase  also  appears  as  des 
Tourtres,  Au  Tourt,  etc.  A  name  current  earlier  was  Riviire  aux  Groseilles, 
as  if  Currant  or  Gooseberry  r.;  but  this  is  also  found  as  Growilliers  r.,  in  all 
the  variation  of  spelling  of  that  personal  name,  which  was  borne  by  the  cele- 
brated companion  of  Radisson  in  the  17th  century.  The  stream  is  a  compara- 
tively small  one,  which  flows  eastward  into  Lake  Superior  at  48?  N.,  after  a 
turbulent  course  of  rapids  and  falls.  It  arises  in  the  Height  of  Land  which 
separates  the  waters  of  the  Great  Lakes  from  those  of  Hudson's  bay,  being 
there  connected  with  certain  sources  of  Rainy  r.  Pigeon  r.  is  joined  toward  its 
mouth  by  Arrow  r. ,  on  the  N.,  from  Arrow  1. 

*  Portage  du  Perdrix  of  the  F.,  a  place  where  Pigeon  r.  falls  over  a  precipice 
whose  often  alleged  height  of  100  ft.  is  exaggerated.  This  first  interruption  of 
navigation  is  about  i^  m.  above  Fort  Charlotte  ;  the  portage  is  good,  on  the 
left,  380  yards,  S.  60°  W.  It  is  about  2)i  m.  hence  to  the  usual  first  camping- 
ground,  at  la  Prairie  or  the  Meadow. 

*  Otherwise  Big  Rock  or  Gre^t  Stone  portage,  i%xa,  from  the  last,  on  the 
right,  48s  yards,  N.  40"  W. 


CARIBOU  TO  THE  CHERRY   PORTAGES.  9 

ceeded  to  Caribou  *  portage,  over  which  our  baggage  was 
carried  about  700  paces,  while  tiie  canoes  were  towed  up 
among  the  rocks.  We  then  proceeded  to  Outarde  por- 
tage  •  with  half  a  load,  and  put  up  for  the  night,  having 
sent  the  canoes  back  for  the  rest  of  their  lading. 

July  22d.  It  was  late  before  the  canoes  arrived.  Our 
baggage  was  soon  over,  although  this  portage  is  about  3,000 
paces.  We  then  embarked  on  Outarde  lake,  and  came 
to  Orignal  portage  of  i,ooo  paces,  after  which  we  em- 
barked on  Orignal  *  lake.  I  left  my  loaded  canoes  at  this 
place  and  proceeded  to  Grand  Portage  des  Cerises,*  about 
1,000  paces.  Thence  to  Petit  Vaseux  portage,  about  400 
paces,  and  thence  to  the  last  Vaseux  [or  Little  Cherry]  por- 

*  Or  Deer  portage,  as  it  was  also  called,  the  caribou  being  the  woodland 
reindeer,  Rangifer  caribou.  This  carrying-place  is  ^  m.  from  the  last,  on 
the  left,  540  yards.     The  name  has  sometimes  been  rendered  Carrebceuf. 

'Portage  aux  Outardes  of  the  F.,  literally  Bustard  portage,  but  equivalent 
to  Goose  portage,  as  outarde  i^  the  name  by  which  the  voyageurs  knew  the 
Canada  goose,  Bernicla  canadensis.  It  is  now  sometimes  called  Fowl  portage. 
The  place  is  3  m.  from  the  last,  on  the  right,  1,748  yards.  It  conducts  into 
Lac  aux  Outardes,  or  Goose  1. ,  as  Henry  presently  says.  His  statement  of  its 
length  is  exaggerated,  unless  his  paces  were  short ;  another  authority  says  2,400 
paces.  Thompson  speaks  in  this  connection  of  a  certain  Goose  rock,  "  about 
30  high.'*  Goose  1.  used  to  be  called  6  m.  long ;  it  is  not  far  from  4  m., 
including  a  constriction  which  divides  it  into  two  lakes,  to  be  found  on  some 
modem  maps  as  North  Fowl  and  South  Fowl  lakes ;  the  width  is  a  mile  or 
two  ;  the  direction,  nearly  N. 

*  Or  Moose  portage  and  lake,  as  it  was  then  and  is  still  also  called  :  for  the 
name  orignal,  see  Pike,  ed.  1895,  p.  87.  McKenzie  gives  this  as  Elk  portage. 
The  length  of  the  carrying-place  is  about  as  said ;  the  lake  is  some  4  m.  long, 
by  i|^  wide,  extending  in  an  E.  and  W.  direction.  A  portage,  off  the  route 
we  take,  conducts  N.  to  Arrow  r.  from  Moose  1. 

'  Long  Cherry  or  Great  Cherry  portage,  the  first  and  most  difficult  of  the 
three  which  intervene  between  Moose  1.  and  Mountain  1.,  about  9%  m.  from 
Moose  portage  ;.it  is  762  yards  long,  N.  6o*>  W.,  on  the  right  of  the  stream. 
This  conducts  into  a  little  lake,  400  yards  long,  and  then  comes  Petit  Vaseux,  or 
Little  Muddy  portage,  also  called  Second  Cherry  portage,  250  to  300  yards  long, 
according  to  state  of  the  water,  on  the  right.  Another  reach  of  about  yi  m. 
brings  us  to  what  Henry  calls  the  last  Vaseux  portage,  also  known  as  Third 
Cherry,  Little  Cherry,  and  Lesser  Cherry  portage,  250  yards  long,  about  S.  60* 
W.  The  Mountain  1.  thus  reached  is  some  6  m.  or  more  long,  by  about  2  m. 
in  greatest  width,  lying  nearly  E.  and  W. 


»' 

t^ 


10 


NEW  PORTAGES  TO  ROSE  LAKE. 


tage,  about  500  paces,  over  which  we  embarked  on  Moun< 
tain  lake.  Through  this  we  proceeded  with  a  fine  breeze 
aft,  and  in  a  few  hours  reached  Petit  Portage  Neuf,*  over 
which  we  carried  about  600  paces,  when  we  came  to  a  small 
[Watab]  lake.  Having  passed  this,  we  came  to  the  Petit 
Detroit,  a  narrow  place  where  a  canoe  can  scarcely  pass. 
Here,  in  forcing  our  passage,  we  broke  a  hole  in  the  bot- 
tom of  one  canoe,  which  obliged  us  to  unload  and  repair ; 
after  which  we  proceeded  to  Grand  Portage  Neuf,  where 
we  put  up  for  the  night,  my  people  being  much  fatigued. 

July  23d.  The  men  were  early  at  work  on  the  portage, 
which  is  about  j,ooo  paces  long :  :  ten  o'clock  all  was  over. 
Here  I  found  many  canoes,  st  le  finishing  the  portage, 
others  embarking;  all  was  bu  le  and  confusion.  We 
pitched  our  tent  for  the  night,  to  await  the  brigade,  which 
arrived  this  evening.  They  all  made  merry  upon  some 
small  kegs  of  wine  generally  given  them  on  their  engage- 
ment at  Grand  Portage,  one  or  two  gallons  to  each  man. 

July  24th.  Loaded  and  embarked  at  daybreak,  crossed 
Rosa  **  lake  to  Petite  Pechc,  where  there  were  some  canoes 

'Little  New  portage,  which  succeeds  Mountain  1.,  was  so  named  from  the 
circumstance  that  what  was  an  old  route  in  those  days  followed  a  different 
track  from  the  one  we  are  on.  It  is  now  called  Watab  portage.  It  is  480  yds. 
long,  in  direction  N.  70°  W.,  and  is  stony  and  uneven,  with  some  high  banks. 
The  lake  into  which  it  conducts  is  Watab  I.,  a  mile  or  two  long,  first  westerly, 
and  then  turning  southward.  This  is  called  Rove  1.  on  the  G.  L.  O.  map  of 
Minnesota  of  1894,  and  also  on  another  map  before  me.  Petit  Detroit,  or 
Little  strait,  is  a  place  where  the  passive  narrows  to  a  few  feet,  and  is  so  shoal 
that  a  canoe  had  sometimes  to  be  discharged,  or  even  carried.  Thence  it  is 
only  about  a  mile  to  Great  New  portage,  or  New  Grand  portage,  which  is  some 
1,400  yards  long,  and  thus  occupies  most  of  the  interval  between  Watab  1.  and 
the  next  one,  Rose  1.  For  this  reason  it  has  been  sometimes  called  Rose 
portage. 

"  "  Rosa "  I.  may  be  intended  for  Roseau  (or  Reed)  1.,  but  is  now  com- 
monly known  as  Rose  1.  This  supposition  is  strengthened  by  the  fact  that  an 
alternative  name  is  Mud  1.,  and  a  muddy  lake  is  one  in  which  reeds  are  likely 
to  grow.  The  G.  L.  O.  map  of  1894  letters  "  Rose  or  Mud."  Rose  1.  affords 
the  closest  connection  with  Arrow  1.,  on  the  N.  The  course  in  Rose  1.  is  3  m. 
W.  to  what  Henry  calls  Petite  Peche— a  term  whos£  significance  in  this  con- 
nection escapes  me.    Thence  it  is  but  a  short  reach  of  3  m.  to  Martin  or  Marten 


PORTAGE  OF  THE  HEIGHT  OF  LAND. 


II 


not  yet  stirring,  and  soon  after  came  to  Martin  portage, 
which  is  only  20  paces  from  the  small  lake.  We  then 
followed  Portage  des  Perches  about  500  paces  to  the  lake 
of  the  same  name.  Having  passed  this  we  came  to  Portage 
du  Hauteur  des  Terres  [Land's  Height],  which  is  about 
700  paces.  At  this  place  the  men  generally  finish  their 
small  kegs  of  liquor  and  fight  many  a  battle.  We  reloaded 
the  canoes  and  proceeded  on  Lac  du  Hauteur  des  Terres 
to  the  Uncharge  des  l^pingles,  where  we  carried  down  half 
our  lading  about  50  paces.  Thence  we  continued  to 
Flint"  lake,  through  which  we  passed.    A  fine  wind  aft 


(low  com- 
that  an 

are  likely 
1.  affords 
.  is  a  m. 
this  con- 
r  Marten 


portage,  only  18  yards,  on  the  left,  into  the  very  small  lake  to  which  he  refers. 
Immediately  on  crossing  this  we  reach  Perche  portage,  of  330  yards,  which 
conducts  into  the  lake  to  which  Henry  applies  the  same  name.  But  this  is  now 
known  as  South  1.,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  adjacent  North  1.;  and  between 
these  two  is  the  Height  of  Land.  The  course  in  South  1.  is  about  3  m.  westerly 
to  near  its  end,  then  turning  N.  to  the  portage  of  the  Height  of  Land  over  into 
North  1.  Hauteur  des  Terres  (or  de  Terre)  is  a  more  general  name  of  the  high 
land,  full  of  small  lakes,  which  occupies  the  region  between  the  waters  of 
Pigeon  r.,  flowing  ea&iward,  and  those  of  Rainy  r.,  taking  the  opposite  direc- 
tion. Land's  Height  portage  itself  is  about  400  jrards  long,  and  strikes  Lac  du 
Hauteur  des  Terres  (present  North  1.)  not  far  from  its  lower  end ;  so  that, 
though  North  1.  is  much  longer  and  vnder  than  South  1.,  the  course  in  it  is 
crooked  and  short,  being  only  about  3  m.  to  the  D&harge  des  £pingles.  (In 
voyageurs'  language  a  discharge  is  a  place  where  the  canoe  must  be  unloaded 
wholly  or  in  part,  and  can  then  be  handed  down  by  a  rope,  the  cargo  or  a  part 
of  it  being  carried  on  land ;  but  at  a  portage  everything  is  carried,  including 
the  canoe.)  This  discharge  is  40  yards  long,  and  from  this  place  the  distance 
is  only  about  i^  m.  to  the  large  lake  next  to  be  named. 

"  Flint  1.  is  more  fully  Gun  Flint  1.,  a  term  translating  the  F.  phrase  Lac  des 
Pierres  k  Fusil ;  Harmon  renders  Flinty  1.  The  length  is  7  m.,  with  a  width 
of  a  mile  or  two  in  different  places.  It  is  traversed  its  whole  length,  about 
W.  S.  W.,  to  near  the  end,  where  the  track  turns  N.  W.  through  a  narrow  place 
about  6  yards  wide  for  15  yards.  This  constriction  marks  off  a  part  of  what 
was  Gun  Flint  1.  of  old,  but  is  now  distinguished  b}  the  modem  name  of  Mag- 
netic 1.,  about  a  mile  long,  N.  N.  W.  The  Duluth,  Port  Arthur,  and  Western 
Ry.  crosses  this  narrow  place  to  go  to  Gun  Flint  iron  mine.  Magnetic  1.  is 
succeeded  by  a  course  8  yards  wide  with  a  fall  of  12  or  14  feet  in  three  ridges 
or  steps,  where  there  is  a  carriage  of  40  yards  to  be  made  over  a  point  of  rocks 
on  the  right,  formerly  known  as  Escalier  or  Ladder  portage,  now  called  Little 
Rock  portage.  From  this  place  onward  quite  to  Saganaga  1.  the  route  is  simply 
a  succession  of  little  lakes  with  intervening  narrows,  like  beads  on  a  string. 


Mil 


f 


•""^ 


■«•■«■ 


Av-      *■ 


12 


GUN   FLINT  LAKE  TO  LAKE  SAGANAGA. 


soon  took  US  to  Escalier  portage,  over  which  we  carried 
about  60  paces,  when  we  rmbarked  and  proceeded  to  the 
Cheval  de  Bois,  an  ugly  portage  of  about  400  paces.  Thence 
to  Portage  des  Gros  Pins,"  which  is  about  ;^oo  paces,  to  a 
small  lake.  Through  this  we  passed  to  a  chain  of  rapids 
and  small  lakes  and  down  to  Aiarabou  portage,  which  is 
about  200  paces.  This  is  succeeded  by  several  small  rapids, 
through  which  we  passed  to  Pointe  k  la  Framboise  [Rasp- 
berry point],  where  we  camped  about  dark.  The  men  were 
much  fatigued.  We  found  the  air  very  cold.  Gummed 
our  canoes  by  torch-light,  as  they  had  received  some  dam- 
age in  coming  down  the  last  rapid. 

Jufy  25th.  At  four  o'clock  we  embarked,  and  having 
descended  several  rapids  came  to  Petit  Rocher  de  Sagi- 
naga,'*  a  small  portage  of  about  60  paces.    At  nine  o'clock 


M 


m 


requirii^g  discharges  or  carriages  at  frequent  short  intervals.  The  "ugly  one," 
which  Henry  names  Cheval  de  Bois,  is  now  known  as  Wood  Horse  portage,  of 
which  Thompson's  MS.  remarks  that  it  would  be  an  excellent  place  for  a  mill, 
being,  in  fact,  a  dam  site,  better  than  any  other  for  that  purpose. 

>*  Portage  of  the  Big  Pines,  now  simply  Pine  p.,  640  paces  sr  400  yards  long, 
off  to  the  left  over  a  ridge,  from  a  sort  of  bay,  in  a  JM.  W.  direction  to  a  smidi 
lake.  It  thus  leaves  the  channel  of  Rainy  r.  to  a\Md  some  obstructions  in  the 
latter.  Henry's  Marabou  portage  was  also  known  as  Maraboeuf  p.,  a  name 
which  appears  on  some  of  the  modem  maps  ;  his  Pointe  &  la  Framboise  I  do 
not  identify.  The  route  along  here,  before  reaching  the  falls  to  be  presently 
mentioned,  includes  obstructions  which  are  noted  in  Thompson's  MS.  as 
Muddy  portage  or  Grande  Decharge,  Stone  rapids,  and  Cedar  portage.  The 
route  is  through  or  past  Granite  bay.  Gneiss  1.,  Maraboeuf  1.,  and  Cross  bay, 
of  modem  nomenclature  ;  it  proceeds  in  a  very  crooked  but  on  the  whole  N.  W. 
course  of  7  m.  into  Maraboeuf  1.,  and  then  due  N.  4  m.  to  Saganaga  falls. 

'*  Little  Saganaga  rock,  position  of  Saganaga  falls ;  carry  on  the  left  35 
yards  or  more,  according  to  height  of  water,  and  proceed  about  i^  m.  into  the 
large  lake  of  the  same  name.  This  still  fluctuates  in  spelling,  as  it  always  has 
done ;  the  maps  before  me  have  Saginaga,  Saganaga,  and  Seiganagah,  once 
Saginaca ;  Thompson's  MS.  has  Seiganah.  This  is  much  the  largest  body  of 
water  we  have  hitherto  entered,  and  of  extremely  irregular  figure  ;  much  of  it 
is  crowded  with  small  islands,  and  it  has  various  connections  with  surrounding 
bodies  of  water.  The  whole  length  is  about  12  m.  in  a  general  N.  E.  to  S.  W. 
direction ;  but  the  lake  is  entered  from  the  S.,  and  the  course  through  it  is 
much  curved  on  itseif.  The  d^troit  which  Henry  mentions  is  probably  the 
strait  which  marks  off  Cache  bay  at  the  S.  W.  end  of  the  lake.     Thompson 


KNIFE  LAKE  AND  PORTAGES. 


13 


we  entered  Lake  Saginaga  and  came  to  L'Anse  de  Sable. 
Here  we.  found  some  Indians  making  canoes  for  sale ;  but 
as  none  of  them  were  to  my  taste,  we  proceeded  *o  the 
d^troit  in  the  lake.  My  canoe  ran  afoul  of  a  sharp  rock 
and  in  an  instant  was  full  of  water.  We  put  ashore  to 
repair  the  damage,  am!  in  the  meantime  dried  our  goods, 
which  had  got  wet,  and  embarked.  We  soon  came  to  the 
last  Petit  Rocher  de  Saginaga  portage,  which  is  about 
50  paces  long.  We  thence  proceeded  to  Prairie  portage," 
where  we  found  the  water  so  low  that  it  was  with  the 
utmost  di!lculty  we  could  unload.  We  carried  about  600 
paces,  and  then  proceeded  to  Petit  Rocher  des  Couteaux 
portage,  which  is  about  1 50  paces  long.  We  loaded  again, 
embarked,  and  went  to  the  W.  end  of  Lac  des  Couteaux, 
where  we  camped. 

July  26th.  We  early  embarked,  descended  seven  small 
rapids,  and  passed  through  the  same  number  of  small  lakes, 
when  we  arrived  at  Petit  Rocher,  a  short  portage  of  about 
50  paces ;  thence  we  went  through  a  small  lake  to  the  last 
Petit  Rocher  des  Couteaux  portage,  about  200  paces  long, 

notes  a  place  along  here  only  4  yards  wide.  Henry's  "  last  Petit  Rocher  de 
Saginaga "  is  now  called  Portage  la  Roche,  which  conducts  us  from  Lake 
Saganaga  into  a  small  one  now  called  Swamp  1.  The  passage  between  these 
two  lakes  is  nearly,  if  not  exactly,  on  the  line  between  Cook  Co.,  Minn.,  which 
has  thus  far  been  on  our  left  the  whole  way  from  Fort  Charlotte,  and  Lake  Co. 
of  the  same  State. 

The  elder  Henry,  who  was  here  July  aoth,  1775,  speaks  of  Lake  Sagunac,  t.  e. , 
Saganaga,  as  the  situation  of  the  hithermost  French  post  in  the  N.  W.,  where 
there  had  been  a  large  Chippewa  village,  destroyed  by  the  Sioux.  When 
populous  this  village  had  been  a  menace  to  tu.s  traders,  by  extorting  liquor  and 
other  goods  ;  but  he  found  only  three  squalid  lodges:  Trav.,  p.  241. 

'*  Through  the  small  Swamp  1.  named  in  my  last  note.  Prairie  p.  is  now 
called  Swamp  p.,  being  in  part  boggy;  it  is  little  over  300  yards  long,  W.  S.  W., 
and  conducts  into  a  narrow  body  of  water  now  knoT  as  Otter  Track  1.,  3  or 
4  m.  long,  and  for  the  most  part  quite  narrow,  like  a  river.  Petit  Rocher  des 
Couteaux  is  present  Little  Knife  portage  ;  Thompson  calls  it  Little  Knife  Stone 
Carrying  Place,  53  yards  long.  Lac  des  Couteaux  or  Knife  1.  is  a  narrow  body 
of  water  some  7  m.  long  from  N.  E.  to  S.  W.;  iU  name,  as  well  as  those  of 
the  several  portages  through  and  beyond  it,  refers  to  'ihe  sharp  stones  which 
abound  in  this  portion  of  the  route. 


14 


BASSWOOD  LAKE  AND  PORTAGES. 


r 


I 


into  another  small  [Carp]  lake,  through  which  we  passed 
to  Portage  des  Carpes,'*  about  400  paces  long.  Thence 
through  a  winding  channel  [present  Birch  lake]  to  Gros 
Portage  des  Bois  Blancs,  which  is  near  300  paces  long. 
Here  we  met  three  canoes  from  Rainy  lake,  loaded  with 
packs  from  the  Athabasca  Department,  bound  to  Grand 
Portage.  I  delivered  to  them  my  dispatches  for  Montreal. 
We  came  on  through  Lac  des  Bois  Blancs  as  far  as  the 
Pine  islands,  where  we  found  a  few  Indians  making  canoes. 
Mine  was  in  such  a  bad  state  that  I  could  proceed  no 
further ;  I  therefore  determined  to  wait  for  a  new  one  here, 
there  being  several  on  the  stocks.  The  Indians  were  drink- 
ing and  rather  troublesome. 

Sunday,  July  2yth.  This  morning  we  had  rain,  which 
continued  until  ten  o'clock,  when  the  weather  cleared  up, 
and  the  Indians  set  to  work  finishing  my  canoe.  At  eleven 
o'clock,  four  more  canoes  from  Rainy  lake,  with  Athabasca 
packs,  passed,  and  at  one  o'clock,  Roderick  McKenzie 
arrived  in  a  light  canoe,  two  days  from  Lac  la  Pluie, 
expecting  to  reach  Grand  Portage  early  on  the  29th;  he 
left  at  two  o'clock.  Several  canoes  overtook  and  passed  me 
while  I  was  impatiently  waiting  ;  but  the  Indians,  from  yes- 
terday's debauch,  were  not  in  a  working  humor,  and  were 
continually  smoking  and  begging  for  liquor.  The  weather 
was  warm  and  sultry,  which  so  increased  their  laziness  that 

I*  Carp  I.  is  several  miles  long,  but  lies  mostly  oiT  the  route,  to  the  right,  so 
that  a  short  course  across  its  lower  end  brings  us  to  Carp  portage,  278  yards  long. 
Upon  making  this  carriage,  we  enter  what  Henry  calls  the  "  winding  channel " 
of  present  Birch  1.,  the  course  through  which  is  3  or  4  m.  On  finishing  this  we 
come  to  the  first  Bois  Blanc  or  Great  Basswood  portage,  which  intervenes 
between  Birch  1.  and  Basswood  1.  Bois  blanc  is  a  F.  name  of  Tilia  amtricana, 
often  literally  translated  whitewood.  Thompson  calls  this  portage  Great  White- 
wood  Carrying-place,  and  no'  is  a  house  which  had  been  bu  v.tdd  when  he  passed 
by,  Aug.  i6th,  1797.  It  is  140  yards  lon^,  with  a  steep  tank  on  the  E.  side. 
Basswood  1.  is  much  larger  than  any  body  of  water  hitherto  passed  ;  the  air-line 
distance  from  entrance  to  exit  may  not  be  over  lom.,  but  the  route  winds 
through  the  lake  to  a  length  of  probably  15  m.  Another  F.  name  of  this  lake 
appears  in  print  as  Lac  P..ssf  au,  and  an  Indian  one  is  given  as  Passeau  Minac 
Sagaigan,  tr.  L.  of  Dry  Berries. 


CROOKED  LAKE  AND  PORTAGES. 


15 


they  finally  fell  asleep.  The  women  brought  me  plenty  of 
fine  large  hurtleberries  [whortleberries  or  huckleberries],  of 
which  there  is  an  abundance  on  the  rocks  around  this  lake. 
Toward  evening  the  Indians  awoke  and  insisted  upon  my 
giving  them  liquor,  otherwise  I  should  have  no  canoe ;  and 
they  threatened  to  break  my  old  one.  However,  I  per- 
sisted  in  refusing.  We  came  to  high  words,  and,  in  our 
turn,  menaced  them  with  a  good  beating  if  they  misbe- 
haved. This  had  the  desired  effect,  and  about  midnight  we 
got  rid  of  them. 

July  28th.  This  morning  the  scoundrels  refused  to  work, 
and  I  was  obliged  to  set  my  own  men  to  finish  the  canoe. 
She  was  completed  at  ten  o'clock,  when  we  loaded  and 
embarked,  giving  the  fellows  a  receipt  for  the  canoe — 60 
skins,  payable  at  Lac  la  Pluie.  At  twelve  o'clock  we  came 
to  the  end  of  [Basswood]  lake,  and  thus  to  Petit  Portage 
des  Bois  Blancs,'*  which  is  about  20Q  paces  over.  Thence 
we  went  down  several  ugly  rapids  to  Portage  des  Grands 
Pins,  about  400  paces  long,  and  then  to  Portage  de  la  Pointe 
des  Bois,  over  which  we  carried  about  300  paces.  We  pro- 
ceeded to  Petit  Rocher  du  Lac  Croche,  a  portage  of  about 
100  paces  over  a  rock,  to  Lac  la  Croche."    At  the  Rock  in 

'*  Little  Buswood,  or  Lesier  Whitewood  portage — the  quilifjring  term  refer- 
ring not  to  the  trees,  but  to  the  length  of  this  ckrrjring-place,  in  comparison 
with  that  one  by  which  Basswood  1.  is  entered  from  the  E.  It  is  140  yards, 
with  good  carriage  on  the  left  hand.  The  next  one,  Great  Pines  portage,  which 
occurs  within  a  mile  or  two,  is  330  yards  long,  and  is  carried  also  on  the  left. 
Point  of  Wcofis  portage  soon  succeeds,  138  yards  long,  carried  s!  by  E.,  on  the 
right.  The  next  obstruction,  which  blocks  the  entrance  to  Lac  la  Croche,  was 
formerly  known  as  Petit  Rocher  or  Little  Stone  portage,  but  is  now  usually 
called  Portage  la  Croche;  the  carriage  is  75  yards,  on  the  left,  and  there  are 
steep,  smooth  rocks  on  one  side;  the  descent  of  water  through  the  place  is  about 
12  feet,  in  two  inclines. 

"  Or  Crooked  1.,  whose  shape  is  implied  in  the  name;  for,  besides  being 
extremely  irregular  in  details  of  contour,  it  is  bent  upon  itself  about  midway,  so 
that  the  traverse  is  for  nearly  the  first  half  due  N.,  with  many  minor  windings, 
and  then  turns  W.  The  term  covers  the  whole  body  of  waters  from  the  portage 
last  named  to  Rideau  or  Curtain  portage,  a  distance,  as  traveled,  of  about  18  m. 
There  appear  to  be  no  obstructions  in  this  course,  but  various  points  about  the 
lake  a<v  known  by  name.     Among  them  is  Henry's  "  Rock  in  Arrows,"  about 


-  ■.W!W^Wf^ 


i6 


CURTAIN  AND   BOTTLE   PORTAGES. 


i\ 


h 
1 


F    :| 


Arrows  we  met  nine  canoes  loaded  with  Athabasca  packs. 
At.  sunset  came  to  Portage  de  Rideau,  where  we  stopped 
for  the  night.    This  portage  is  about  400  paces. 

/u/y  2gih.  At  six  o'clock  we  embarked,  overtook  several 
canoes,  and  arrived  at  Flacon  portage,"  which  is  about  400 
paces,  exclusive  of  a  small  discharge  which  occasions  a 
portage  of  70  paces  when  the  water  is  low.  We  next 
entered  Lac  la  Croix,'*  but  the  wind  soon  came  on  ahead 
and  obliged  us  to  put  as^^ore,  where  we  waited  some  time. 
We  again  embarked,  came  on  to  Pointe  au  Sable,  and  put 

3  m.  beyond  Portage  la  Croche.  The  name  ii  thus  explained  by  McKenzie, 
p.  liv :  "...  a  remarkable  rock,  with  a  smooth  face,  but  split  and  cracked 
in  different  parts,  which  hang  over  the  water.  Into  one  of  its  horizontal 
chasms  a  great  number  of  arrows  have  been  shot,  which  is  said  to  have  been 
done  by  a  war  party  of  Nadowasis  or  Sioux,  who  had  done  much  mischief  in  this 
country,  and  had  left  these  weapons  as  a  warning  to  the  Chebois  [OJibways]  or 
natives."  Thompson  names  two  places  as  Grand  Galles  and  Millstone  Rock. 
He  describes  "  Riedo  "  [Rideau]  portage  as  149  yards  long,  carriage  on  the  left, 
the  lower  bank  steep,  rugged,  and  rocky,  the  descent  of  water  30  feet.  In 
traversing  the  latter  part  of  Crooked  1.,  the  voyageur  crosses  the  line  between 
Lake  Co.  and  St.  Louis  Co. ,  Minn. 

'*  Or  Bottle  portage,  as  it  was  also  then  and  is  now  generally  called.  Thomp> 
son  gives  the  English  name,  1797,  and  it  appears  on  recent  maps.  The  interval 
between  Curtain  and  Bottle  portages,  representee*  by  part  of  present  Iron  1.,  is 
between  3  and  4  m.  Thence  the  distance  is  about  5  m.,  northerly,  past 
Shortiss  and  other  islands,  into  what  may  be  considered  Lac  la  Croix,  or  Cross 
1.  prop<!r,  though  the  whole  body  of  water  hitherward  from  Curtain  portage 
may  have  been  sometimes  covered  by  the  name. 

'*  Lac  la  Croix,  as  it  is  still  called,  or  Cross  1.,  is  a  larger  body  of  water  than 
any  hitherto  traversed  on  this  route  ;  but  its  shape  is  so  peculiar,  and  its  exten- 
sions or  connections  so  numerous  and  various,  that  authorities  differ  in  the  impli- 
cation of  the  name.  Furthermore,  there  is  an  alternative  name,  Nequaquon  ; 
thus,  the  G.  L.  O.  map  of  1894  gives  the  whole  lake  as  Nequowquon,  while  the 
best  Canadian  map  before  me  restricts  Neguaquon  to  a  comparatively  small  lake 
connected  with  the  W.  end  of  Lac  la  Croix.  Various  lesser  offsets  or  lakes 
now  have  special  names  The  main  body  of  water  is  bent  upon  itself  in  such 
a  figure  that  the  course  we  are  following— the  main  channel  or  international 
boundary — is  first  N.,  then  W.,  then  S,,  independently  of  its  minor  bends.  If 
we  take  Lac  la  Croix  for  what  it  appears  to  have  been  considered  in  Henry's 
time,  it  includes  the  three  Portages  de  la  Croix,  or  Cross  portages,  which  he 
names.  Thompson  gives  the  same  three,  as  being  respectively  173, 338,  and  61 
yards  long.  This  course  would  appear  to  include  the  small  expansion  now 
known  as  Loon  1.,  as  this  is  mentioned  neither  by  Henry  nor  by  Thompson  ; 


CROSS-  LAKE— LAKE   NAMAKAN. 


17 


up  for  the  night.  Mosquitoes  and  sandflies  were  very 
troublesome.    We  here  found  Indians  making  canoes. 

July  30th.  At  daybreak  we  embarked  and  came  to  the 
first  Petit  Portage  de  la  Croix,  which  is  200  paces  long ;  then 
through  a  crooked  piece  of  water  to  the  middle  Portage  de 
la  Croix,  which  is  400  paces ;  :  hence  it  is  but  a  short  distance 
to  the  last  Petit  Portage  de  la  Croix,  which  is  but  $0  paces 
over.  We  then  loaded  and  descended  the  little  Riviere  la 
Croix  to  Vermillion  lake,  between  which  and  Lac  Namay- 
can  we  are  sometimes  obliged  to  make  a  portage  of  3CX> 
paces,  when  the  water  is  low.  We  came  on  through  the 
last-mentioned  lake  to  Pointe  de  Sable,  where  we  found 
some  Indians  making  canoes.  Here  we  gummed,  re- 
embarked,  and  came  to  the  traverse.**    The  wind  blew  a 

and  beyond  this  the  way  narrows  to  what  Henry  calls  Riviere  la  Croix,  4  m. 
long,  leading  S.  W.,  thence  N.  W.,  into  Vermillion  1. 

Cross  1.  can  hardly  have  been  so  named  from  its  own  shape,  for  that  is  more 
like  a  broad,  short  ox-bow  ;  but  it  may  be  called  something  like  a  cross  if  we 
take  into  account  its  two  most  important  connections,  as  collateral  with  those 
we  have  already  traced.  These  are  :  on  the  N.  E.,  with  Riviire  Maligne,  Malign, 
or  Sturgeon  r.,  and  on  the  N,,  about  the  middle  of  the  lake,  with  Namakan  r., 
alongside  La  Croix  Indian  village.  The  Malign  River  connection  is  specially 
notable  because,  in  Henry's  time,  it  afforded  what  was  called  the  "  new  route  " 
from  Lac  la  Croix,  1.  /.,  a  route  to  the  newly  established  post  at  Kaministiquia 
(Fort  William).  We  shall  recur  to  this  route  later  on,  when  Henry  first  takes 
it.  The  Namakan  r.  is  simply  another  connection  between  Lac  la  Croix  and 
Namakan  1.,  to  be  presently  noticed.  Among  other  ways  out  of  Cross  1.  may 
be  mentioned  one  by  Wild  Goose  r.  to  a  chain  of  small  lakes  to  the  N.  E.; 
Whitson's  portage,  N.,  over  to  Wolsley  or  Donald  1.;  and  Neguaquon  portage, 
W.,  on  the  Dawson  route  to  Namakan  1. 

**  That  is,  the  crossing  of  Lac  Namaycan.  Thompson  calls  this  Lac  le  Mecan, 
as  if  it  were  French  ;  McKenzie  maps  "  L.  Micane";  but  it  is  an  Indian  name, 
now  rendered  Namakan,  Namekan,  Namaukan,  or  Nameukan,  referring  to 
a  place  at  a  fall  where  the  natives  speared  sturgeon.  Before  coming  to  the  lake 
proper,  Henry  passes  from  his  small,  narrow  Vermillion  1.,  still  so  called,  to 
present  Crane  L,  which  lies  mostly  off  to  the  S.  or  left,  but  conducts  directly 
into  Sand  Point  1.  This  last  is  named  from  Henry's  Pointe  de  Sable,  or  i  ind 
pt,  and  appears  to  have  been  taken  as  a  part  of  Namakan  1.,  separated  from 
the  rest  by  a  narrow  passage.  From  this  passage,  where  Namakan  1.  may  be 
said  to  begin,  the  main  channel  is  very  circuitous  into  Rainy  1.,  being  first  about 
W.,  then  N.,  then  E.,  to  a  total  distance  of  some  18  or  19  m.,  or  to  the  vicinity 
of  Kettle  falls,  which,  as  it  were,  guard  the  entrance  into  Rainy  1.     But  there 


i8 


NEW  PORTAGES  TO  RAINY  LAKE. 


gale  from  the  N.  W.,  which  obliged  us  to  camp  for  the 
night. 

July  J  t  St.  The  wind  still  blew  strong  ahead;  however, 
with  some  difficulty,  we  got  over  the  traverse  to  the  first 
Petit  Portage  Neuf,  which  is  about  200  paces.  Thence  we 
passed  through  a  small  winding  river  to  the  last  Petit 
Portage  Neuf,  which  is  about  300  paces  long.*'  Here  we 
gummed,  and  went  down  a  crooked  passage  to  the  entrance 
of  Rainy  lake.**    The  wind,  having  increased,  obliged  us  to 

ii  a  much  shorter  cut  into  Rainy  I.,  crouing  Namakan  I.  about  7  m. 
W.  N.  W.,  and  then  on  through  a  narrow  paiuge  of  leu  than  a  m.,  with  two 
portages  (see  next  note) ;  a  third,  and  entirely  different  way,  passes  through 
Kabelogamaor  Kahpetogamak  l.,and  by  portage  into  Rat  Root  1.,  or  Black 
bay  of  Rainy  I. 

*■  Mention  of  these  two  portages  shows  that  Henry  took  the  cut-off  referred 
to  in  the  last  note.  This  way  is  now  called  Soldiers'  portage.  Thompson  gives 
the  same  two  portages  that  Henry  names,  as  respectively  of  13s  and  180  yards, 
N.  W.  and  N.  30"  W.;  he  also  speaks  of  his  course  "in  a  dead  narrow," 
between  them,  and  presently  notes  a  fall  on  the  left  as  he  enters  Rainy  1.— 
no  doubt  the  Kettle  falls  I  have  already  mentioned.  We  may  be  satisfied 
therefore,  that  the  usual  trader's  route  took  the  Soldiers'  portage  cut>off  from  the 
circuitous  course  of  the  main  channel,  or  what  is  now  the  international  bound- 
ary line,  between  the  two  lakes.    Compare  McKenzie,  p.  Iv. 

**  Rainy  1.  is  by  far  the  largest  body  of  water  on  this  route,  givirg  name  to  the 
whole  waterway  01  chain  of  lakes  thus  far  traversed  since  we  left  Pigeon  r.,  and 
more  particularly  to  Rainy  Lake  r.,  or  Rainy  r.,  which  is  the  main  issuant 
stream,  considerably  less  than  100  m.  long,  by  which  these  waters  are  connected 
with  Lake  of  the  Woods.  The  origin  of  the  name  has  been  questioned,  and 
"  Rainy  "  said  to  be  a  corruption  of  Rentf,  "  name  of  its  Canadian  discoverer." 
But  Rainy  simply  translates  the  old  and  still  current  French  phrase,  Lac  A  la 
Pluie  or  Lac  de  la  Pluie,  or  Lac  la  Pluie — the  implication  of  which  does  not 
appear  in  the  climate  or  weather,  but  in  the  mist,  like  rain,  which  is  raised  by 
the  cascade  near  the  discharge  of  the  lake  into  Rainy  r.  proper.  This  is  stated 
distinctly  by  Joseph  La  France,  1740,  and  is  the  usually  accepted  explanation, 
which  I  see  no  reason  to  question.  The  French  term  itself  is  coupled 
with  and  probably  derived  from  an  Indian  word  found  in  old  records  as 
Tekamammaouen.  It  is  written  Tekamamihouenne  by  Verendrye,  1738. 
James'  Tanner's  Narr.,  1830,  p.  79,  says  that  "the  river  which  falls  into  Rainy 
Lake,  is  called  Kocheche-se-bee,  (Source  River,)." 

The  lake  is  of  more  irregular  figure,  with  more  numerous,  intricate  connec- 
tions than  would  be  imagined  by  one  who  had  never  examined  a  map  of  it  on 
a  sufficiently  large  scale,  or  than  could  possibly  be  described  in  a  few  words. 
Roughly  speaking,  it  consists  of  a  large  northern  expansion,  with  which  we  have 


THE  TRAVERSE  OF  RAINY   LAKE. 


19 


put  ashore.  We  patted  the  rett  of  the  day  on  an  itiand, 
where  we  found  plenty  of  ripe  hurtleberriet. 

Atfg.  1st.  The  wind  continued  ttrong  ahead.  At  ten 
o'clock  a  canoe  arrived  from  the  Saskatchewan  with  tix 
Indians,  on  their  way  to  Montreal,  with  a  few  packs  of  furs 
of  their  own  dressing.  By  this  opportunity,  the  last  this 
season,  I  once  more  wrote  to  my  friends  in  Canada.  At 
three  o'clock  they  passed  on.  The  wind  now  abating  a 
little,  we  embarked,  and  with  great  difficulty  reached  Petit 
Detroit'*  some  time  after  dark.  Just  at  this  moment  a 
black  thunder-storm  was  collecting ;  we  could  not  land,  as 
a  reef  of  rocks  prevented  approach  to  the  shore;  and, 
before  we  could  reach  a  proper  landing,  the  storm  burst 
upon  us,  with  thunder,  lightning,  rain,  and  a  terrible 
squall  from  the  W.  We  got  under  the  lee  of  a  large  stone, 
where,  all  hands  clinging  to  it,  with  much  trouble  we  kept 
our  canoes  from  being  blown  out  upon  the  lake,  where  we 
must  inevitably  have  perished.  The  thunder  and  lightning 
were  horrid  ;  every  flash  served  but  to  show  us  our  danger, 
and  instantly  left  us  in  utter  darkness.  Toward  day  the 
storm  abated,  but  we  did  not  think  proper  to  stir  from  our 
large  stone  till  daybreak. 

Aug.  2d.  This  morning  we  had  fine  weather,  when  we 
put  ashore  to  refresh  ourselves  after  our  night's  fatigue. 
At  ten  o'clock  we  embarked,  and  having  passed  through  the 
lake  came  to  the  entrance  of  Riviere  du  Lac  la  Pluie,  down 
which  we  went  to  Chaudi^re  portage,  which  is  about  200 
paces.    We  embarked  below  this  and  proceeded  to  the  fort 

here  nothing  to  do,  and  of  ■  long  extension,  nearly  E.  and  W.,  subdivided  into 
two  parti  at  the  Brfll^  Narrows.  The  course  is  practically  the  same  as  the  inter- 
national boundary  through  these  two  last-named  parts,  from  main  inlet  to  main 
outlet  of  the  lake,  and  in  a  direction  but  little  N.  of  W.  The  air-line  distance 
we  go  is  about  34  ni. ;  the  actual  distance  is  perhaps  40  m.,  as  we  wind  through 
several  straits  and  among  many  of  the  islands  with  which  the  lake  is  for  the  most 
part  crowded ;  still  the  course  is  on  the  whole  pretty  direct. 

**  This  "  little  strait "  is  apparently  the  Brfll^  Narrows,  already  mentioned  as 
separating  the  easternmost  extension  of  Rainy  I.  from  the  main  central  portion 
yet  to  be  traversed. 


"i'','iJiJ)(l'V*i!i'lW^  * 


! 


m  ii^^i 


tf 


30 


RAINY  LAKE  HOUSE  AND  RIVER. 


or  establishment  of  Lac  la  Pluie,  where  we  found  Mr.  Grant, 
one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  N.  W.  Co.**  Here  we  stopped 
for  the  day.  There  is  a  good  garden,  well  stocked  with 
vegetables  of  various  kinds — potatoes,  in  particular,  which 
are  now  eatable.  Thif  evening  my  brigade  arrived  all  safe. 
The  gentlemen  danced  until  daybreak,  all  very  merry. 

Sunday,  Aug-,  jd.  Set  all  hands  to  work  repairing  their 
canoes.  At  twelve  o'clock  they  were  ready,  and  immedi- 
ately embarked.  We  have  great  plenty  of  sturgeon  [Acipen- 
ser  rubicundus]  at  present.  Having  dined,  I  embarked  at 
four  o'clock ;  passed  the  Grande  Fourche  [Big  Fork  river], 
where  a  few  Red  [Lake  ?]  Indians  were  camped ;  saw  also 
some  Indians  at  Riviere  Noir  [Black  river].     We  camped 

**  In  finishing  the  traverse  of  Rainy  1.,  Henry  doubtless  took  a  course  nearly 
or  quite  the  same  as  the  present  international  boundary,  which  runs  W.  in  a 
pretty  straight  direction  between  various  isls.,  two  of  the  largest  of  which  are 
now  called  Sand  Point  isl.  and  Dry  Weed  isl.,  and  two  others  are  Red  Pine  and 
Jackfish.  In  so  doin^  also,  he  ceases  to  have  St.  Louis  Co.,  Minn.,  on  his  left, 
and  enters  upon  Itasca  Co. ,  just  before  passing  opposite  a  place  called  Rainy 
Lake  City,  on  the  E.  side  of  the  entrance  to  Black  bay.  He  leaves  the  lake  and 
enters  Rainy  r.  proper  at  Pither's  point.  This  river  begins  with  rapids  at  the 
discharge  of  the  lake  for  about  400  yards,  S.  to  W.  Henry  does  not  notice 
these  rapids,  but  the  place  is  historically  notable,  for  at  their  foot  stood  Fort  St. 
Pierre,  a  picketed  French  post  built  by  Verendiye  in  1731  in  a  meadow,  amid 
groves  of  oak.  This  is  said  to  have  been  destroyed  before  1763  ;  it  is  not 
noticed  by  the  elder  Henry,  1775.  From  the  rapids  the  course  is  S.  60"  W.  % 
m.,  S.  72*>  W.  %  m.,  and  N.  40°  W.  ^  m.  to  the  Chaudiire  portage  of  the 
text.  This  carriage  was  on  the  right  for  150  yards,  occasioned  by  the  falls — 
among  the  many  called  Chaudiire  or  Kettle,  and  sometimes  formerly  Chute  de 
la  Chaudiire — where  there  is  a  descent  of  water  of  ao  ft.  in  three  ridges.  Here 
is  the  site  of  present  Alberton,  Ont. ,  and  of  the  H.  B.  Co.  post  called  Fort 
Frances,  after  Sir  Geo.  Simpson's  wife,  though  found  on  some  maps  as  Fort 
Francis  and  Fort  St.  Francis.  The  N.  W.  Co.  establishment.  Rainy  Lake 
House,  to  which  Henry  proceeds,  was  but  little  further  down,  on  the  high  bank 
on  the  N.  side.  Thompson  calls  it  half  a  mile  from  the  falls  to  the  N.  W.  Co. 
house  to  which  he  proceeded  in  1797.  The  oldest  post  in  this  vicinity  (exact 
site  undetermined)  is  said  to  have  been  the  one  called  Tekamamicuen  or 
Takamanigan,  established  by  La  None  in  1717.  In  1833  the  H.  B.  Co.  post 
was  in  charge  of  Mr.  Simon  McGillivray ;  and  the  A.  F.  Co.  had  a  house  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  in  charge  of  Mr.  Davenport.  Long's  party  here 
found  John  Tauner,  whose  extraordinary  narrative  was  pub.  in  1830  in  the 
language  of  Dr.  Edwin  James,  8vo,  N.  Y. 


DOWN  RAINY  LAKE  RIVER. 


21 


below  Manitou  rapids,"  where  we  found  several  Indians 
fishing.  They  had  a  great  many  sturgeon  and  various  kinds 
of  small  fish,  a  few  of  which  were  exchanged  for  liquor. 
The  Indians  were  drinking  all  night,  but  not  troublesome. 

Aug.  4th.  At  daybreak  we  embarked  and  passed  the  old 
H.  B.  Co.  establishment,  which  has  been  abandoned  for  sev- 
eral years.  Soon  after  we  came  down  the  Long  Sault."  At 
twelve  o'clock  passed  Rapid  river,"  at  two  o'clock  passed 

"  Three  rivers  which  fall  into  Rainy  r.  below  Rainy  1.,  through  Itasca  Co., 
Minn.,  and  thus  from  the  right,  are  :  i.  Pogonowisebe  or  Little  Fork  r.  a. 
Big  Fork  r.  This  arises  in  a  multitude  of  lakes  in  the  region  N.  and  N.  E.  of 
Winnibigoshish,  Bowstring,  and  Ball  Club  lakes,  and  thus  from  the  divide 
between  Mississippian  and  Hudsonian  waters.  Its  average  course  is  due  N. 
It  seems  to  have  acquired  consequence  as  a  route  of  the  A.  F.  Co.,  after 
Henry's  time;  Thompson  describes  it  in  1798.  3.  Black  r.,  a  small  stream 
falling  in  4  m.  below  Big  Fork  r.  The  first  of  these  Henry  passes  unnoticed  ;* 
it  falls  in  opposite  the  Indian  reserve,  3ji^  m.  below  Isherwood  P.  O.,  Ont. 
The  Big  Fork  he  mentions  is  about  6  m.  below  Little  Fork  r. ;  nearly  midway 
between  these  two,  on  the  right,  comes  Lavallee  r.,  and  about  the  mouth  of  the 
Big  Fork  are  place-,  called  Big  Forks  P.  O.,  Ont.,  and  Hannaford,  Minn. 
Between  the  Big  Fork  and  Black  r.  is  a  cluster  of  islands.  All  the  streams 
here  in  mention,  and  several  lesser  ones,  enter  Rainy  r.  in  a  large  loop  which 
the  river  makes  southward,  and  where  it  is  flowing  W. ;  but  a  mile  or  two  be- 
yond  Black  r.  the  river  turns  N.  and  then  curves  W.  to  Manitou  rapids,  where 
Indians  were  fishing  when  Henry  camped.  Here  is  still  the  site  of  an  Indian 
village  in  a  reserve  3  m.  square  on  the  Ontario  side  (No.  11,  Barwick). 
Thompson  says  he  ran  the  rapid  S.  10"  W.  176  yards  on  the  left,  and  notes  the 
small  island  %  m.  below,  on  the  right. 

**  The  Long  Sault  is  a  rapid  which  appears  on  some  modem  maps,  e.  g.,  the 
Rand-McNally,  Chicago,  1894,  as  "  Long  Sioux,"  by  confusion  of  similarly 
sounding  words  ;  it  appears  correctly  on  the  Jewett  map,  St.  Paiil,  1894 ;  but 
neither  this  nor  Manito  rapids  is  marked  on  the  latest  G.  L.  O.  map  of  Minne- 
sota, 1894,  which  is  very  crude  and  defective  in  detail  all  along  the  route  we  are 
pursuing.  The  distance  appears  to  be  about  8  m.  from  Manitou  rapids  to  the 
Long  Sault ;  and  the  latter  is  the  location  of  an  Indian  reserve,  5  ni.  square,  on 
the  Ontario  side. 

**  Rapid  r.  is  the  present  name  of  the  only  other  one  Henry  notices  of  several 
streams  running  into  Rainy  r.  on  the  Minnesota  side.  It  flows  in  Beltrami  Co., 
and  empties  near  the  W.  boundary  of  Itasca  Co.  Two  others  are  Baudette  r. 
and  Winter  Road  r.  But  there  is  some  uncertainty  about  these  streams,  as  the 
country  is  not  yet  surveyed.  The  G.  L.  O.  map  brings  in  a  nameless  river 
exactly  on  the  boundary  between  Itasca  and  Beltrami  cos.,  then  Rapid  r.  and 
Baudette  r.,  but  runs  Winter  Road  t.  into  Lake  of  the  Woods,  several  miles 


l:/ii 


22 


TO  THE  LAKE  OF  THE  WOODS. 


another  old  H.  B.  Co.  establishment,  and  soon  after  came 
to  the  entrance  of  Lake  of  the  Woods ; "  when,  having  a 
fine  calm,  we  made  the  traverse  and  camped  at  the  [Big] 
island.    A  terrible  storm  during  the  night. 

Aug.  sth.    This  morning  early  embarked  ;  wind  aft ;  came 
to  the  Rocher  Rouge,  where  we  found  a  number  of  Indians 

beyond  the  entrance  of  Rainy  r.  into  that  lake.  The  best  Canadian  map  before 
me  (Dept.  Interior,  1894)  marks  Rapid  r.,  Reaudet  r.,  and  Winter  Road  r. 
with  a  place  called  Rapid  River  opp.  the  mouth  of  the  first  named,  in  On- 
tario. Thompson,  1797,  carefully  notes  four  streams  on  his  left  (Minnesota 
side)  between  the  Long  Sault  and  Lake  of  the  Woods.  He  further  makes 
it  N.  13°  W.  I  ;^  m.  below  the  last  one  (A  these  streams  to  certain  establish- 
ments which  appear  to  have  been  in  the  vicinity  of  present  Fort  Louise  (Paskon- 
kin  and  Bishop  Indian  reserves,  near  the  entrance  of  the  lake).  He  speaks  of 
these  posts  as  being  together,  and  as  the  houses  of  Mr.  Mcintosh  and  Mr. 
McKay,  the  latter  "  from  Albany,"  1.  e.,  of  the  H.  B.  Co.  This  may  give  a  clew 
to  the  second  one  of  the  establishments  of  which  Henry  speaks.  Keatiug's 
Long,  1824,  notes  a  certain  Pine  r.,  on  the  N.,  30  yards  wide,  between  Rapid 
r.  and  Black  r. 

'^  Henry  enters  Lake  of  the  Woods  on  its  extreme  S.,  at  the  inlet  of  Rainy 
r.,  and  will  pass  N.  to  the  outlet  or  main  discharge  o\  the  lake  into  Winnipeg 
r.,  near  Rat  portage.  The  air-line  distance  between  these  two  points  is  about 
70  m.;  but  the  actual  route  is  considerably  more,  as  it  winds  among  islands 
which  stud  the  whole  collection  of  waters  once  and  long  known  as  Lake  of 
the  Woods,  now  belonging  in  part  to  Minnesota,  but  in  greater  part  to  Ontario. 
Henry  starts  on  a  course  coincident  with  the  present  international  line  through 
the  lake,  but  quits  it  before  he  has  gone  halfway  to  Rat  portage.  These  simple 
statements  might  furnish  a  text  for  a  disquisition  on  the  Lake  of  the  Woods 
as  the  most  celebrated  thing  of  the  kind  in  our  political  history,  having  occa-  • 
sioned  more  diplomatic  and  geodetic  literature  than  any  other  waters  of  no 
greater  extent.  The  reader  who  wishes  to  inform  himself  fully  on  the  history 
and  final  settlement  of  the  boundary  question,  which  was  in  dispute  for  so  many 
years,  will  of  course  refer  to  the  official  publications  of  one  or  both  governments. 
The  conclusion  of  the  matter,  on  our  part,  will  be  found  in  the  Department  of 
State  Report  on  the  Survey  of  the  Boundary,  etc.,  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods, 
etc.,  authorized  by  A.  of  C,  19  Mar..  1872,  pub.  by  A.  of  C,  3  Mar.,  1877,  form- 
ing a  stout  4to,  Washington,  Gov't  Pr.  Off..  1878  :  see  esp.  pp.  33,  53,  79,  303, 
etc.,  with  map  opp.  p.  83.  Here,  of  course,  I  can  but  point  to  some  of  the  more 
salient  features  of  the  case.  Lake  of  the  Woods  is  the  term  which  translates  the 
F.  phrase,  Lac  des  Bois  ((  ^e  3ois  or  du  Bois),  a  name  current  since  the  first 
half  of  the  I  Sth  century,  if  not  even  earlier,  and  also  rendered  Wood  1.  or 
Woody  1.  Lac  des  Sioux  is  another  French  name,  appearing  at  least  as  early  as 
1719,  but  lapsing  after  a  precarious  struggle  for  existence.  Lac  des  Isles  is  a 
third  term,  for  example  in  La  France,  1740,  long  alternative  to  Lac  des  Bois  ; 


% 


THE  LAKE  OF  THE  WOODS. 


23 


who  had  made  canoes  and  were  all  intoxicated  with  liquor 
received  for  them.  Some  days  ago  they  were  much  inclined 
to  be  insolent,  and  talked  about  firing  upon  us.  However, 
we  purchased  a  few  fish  and  dried  hurtleberries,  and  pro- 
ceeded on  our  journey  without  molestation.  We  had  left 
them  but  a  short  time  when  a  sturgeon  almost  jumped  into 

thus  we  find  the  t.  ier  Henry  saying  Lake  des  Isles,  with  reference  to  July  30th, 
1775.  at  P-  24a  of  his  book,  pub.  1809.  The  expression,  Sakahigan  Pekwaonga 
or  Lake  of  the  Island  of  Sand  Mounds,  occurs  in  Keating's  Long,  1824  ;  and 
Lake  of  the  Sand  Hills  is  a  current  designation  of  that  main  body  of  water  which 
now  represents  a  part  of  the  whole  Lake  of  the  Woods  of  Henry's  time.  Min> 
nititi,  Mininittee,  Minitie,  etc.,  are  forms  of  an  Indian  name  to  be  found  in 
French  and  English  print.  The  historical  Lake  of  the  Woods  is  really  a  cluster 
of  four  lakes,  or  a  main  (southern)  lake  with  three  principal  bays  or  offsets,  on 
the  N.  E.,  N.,  and  N.  W.,  respectively  ;  these  three  being  now  separately 
designated  Whitefish  bay  (or  1.),  Clear>vater  1.,  and  Lac  Plat  (or  Shoal 
1.),  when  the  name  i.ake  of  the  Woods  is  restricted  to  the  said  main  body. 
A  multitude  of  lesser  arms,  offsets,  or  collections  of  water  are  also  now  named. 
The  part  known  as  Clearwater  1.  is  on  the  old  route  from  Rainy  r.  to  Rat  por- 
tage ;  Whitefish  bay  and  Lac  Plat  lie  entirely  off  the  route,  to  the  right  and  left 
respectively.  The  main. body  of  water  (to  which  we  will  now  restrict  attention) 
is  well  marked  off  from  the  rest  by  a  great  projection  of  land  on  the  E.,  known 
as  The  Peninsula,  leaving  but  a  narrow  waterway  northward,  further  occluded  by 
clusters  of  islands,  large  and  small.  This  is  the  body  which  acquired  the  dis- 
tinctive official  designation  of  Lake  of  the  Woods  by  the  Treaty  of  Ghent,  Dec. 
24th,  1814,  which  adjusted  various  matters  growing  out  of  the  War  of  1812,  and, 
among  these,  some  boundary  disputes.  The  thus  restricted  Lake  of  the  Woods 
extends  irregularly  E.,  S.  of  The  Peninsula,  into  Sebascong  bay  and  other  pro- 
jections, not  even  yet  very  accurately  known  or  mapped  ;  and  on  this  side  of 
the  lake  is  also  the  mouth  of  Big  Grassy  i.,  in  Ontario.  On  the  S.  is  the  principal 
affluent,  Rainy  r.,  as  we  have  already  seen,  separating  the  United  States  from 
Canada  (Minnesota  from  Ontario).  On  the  S.  E.  War  Road  r.  empties,  in 
Minnesota,  and  in  a  sort  of  bay  marked  on  the  N.  by  a  projection  now  called 
Buffalo  pt.  This  is  an  important  point,  almost  exactly  on  the  parallel  of  49" 
N.,  and  therefore  as  nearly  on  the  line  between  Minnesota  and  Manitoba  (for 
reasons  which  will  presently  appear) :  it  is  occupied  by  the  Canadian  Indian 
reserves  called  Ayashawash  and  Powawassan ;  it  is  also  historically  interesting 
as  the  site  of  the  old  French  post  built  by  Verendrye  in  1732,  named  Fort  St. 
Charles  in  honor  of  Charles  de  Beauhamois,  governor  of  Canada,  and  abandoned 
before  1763  ;  it  is  the  establishment  frequently  heard  of  in  early  annals  either  by 
this  name,  or  as  the  "  old  French  post"  on  the  W.  side  of  the  lake  ;  e.  g.,  the 
elder  Henry,  writing  of  1775,  speaks  of  it  thus,  and  adds  that  it  had  been  fre- 
quented by  numerous  bands  of  Chippeways,  already  almost  entirely  destroyed  by 
the  Nadowessies  (Sioux).     N.  of  Buffalo  pt.  is  the  mouth  of  Reed  r.,  a  small 


I  [ 

ii 


24 


THE  LAKE  OF  THE  WOODS. 


my  canoe ;  his  head  struck  the  gunnel  near  one  of  the  men 
who,  instead  of  taking  hold  of  him,  gave  a  scream,  and  the 
fish  fell  into  the  water  again.  The  wind  came'on  so  strong 
as  to  oblige  us  to  put  ashore,  where  we  passed  the  rest  of 
the  day  in  drying  our  goods  at  L'Anse  de  Sable. 
Au^.  6th.    The  wind  continued  to  blow  a  gale  all  day, 

stream  from  the  W.,  of  no  very  great  consequence.  Still  further  N.  on  the  W. 
side,  is  the  opening  of  the  celebrated  "  Northwest  Angle  of  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods,"  in  which  interest  centers  ;  for  at  the  head  of  this  long  narrow  bay  is 
the  "  Northwest  Point  of  the  Northwest  Angle,"  which  has  made  so  much 
political  and  geographical  history.  The  trouble  began  early,  for  the  usual  rea- 
son,  viz. :  the  attempt  to  fix  on  paper  the  location  of  something  whose  actual 
geographical  position  was  unknown.  Thus,  we  find  Sir  A.  McKenzie  saying 
of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  p.  Iviii :  "  This  lake  is  also  rendered  remarkable,  in 
consequence  of  the  Americans  having  named  it  as  the  spot,  from  which  a  line  of 
boundary,  between  them  and  British  America,  was  to  run  West,  until  it  struck  the 
Mississippi ;  which,  however,  can  never  happen,  as  the  North- West  part  of  the 
Lake  du  Bois,  is  in  latitude  49.  37.  North,"  etc.  The  geographical  impossibilities 
or  difficulties  involved  in  any  such  early  and  crude  aspects  of  the  case  as  those 
presented  in  the  treaties  of  Sept.  3d,  1783,  and  Nov.  19th,  1794,  of  course  required 
to  be  eliminated ;  and  the  requisite  adjustment  was  attempted  to  be  provided 
for  by  the  Seventh  Article  of  the  Treaty  of  Ghent,  already  mentioned.  The 
second  article  of  the  London  convention  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain,  of  Oct.  20th,  t8i8,  is  as  follows  :  "  It  is  agreed  that  a  line  drawn  from  the 
most  northwestern  point  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  along  the  forty-ninth  parallel 
of  north  latitude,  or,  if  the  said  point  shall  not  be  in  the  forty-ninth  parallel  of 
north  latitude,  then  that  a  line  drawn  due  north  or  south  as  the  case  may  be, 
until  the  said  line  shall  intersect  the  said  parallel  of  north  latitude,  and  from  the 
point  of  such  intersection  due  west  along  and  with  such  parallel,  shall  be  the  line 
of  demarkation  between  the  territories  of  the  United  States  and  His  Britannic 
Majesty  .  .  .  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  to  the  Stony  Mountains."  This 
is  perfectly  clear,  and  remains  in  force  now  ;  the  only  question  was,  to  deter- 
mine on  the  ground  the  geographical  positions  thus  provided  for.  The 
declaration  of  the  joint  commissioners  appointed  to  carry  into  effect  the 
provisions  of  tlie  Seventh  Article  of  the  Treaty  of  Ghent  includes  the  fol- 
lowing:  "Section  19.  Resolved,  that  the  following  described  line  .  .  . 
is,  in  the  opinion  of  the  commissioners,  so  far  as  the  same  extends,  the 
true  Boundary  intended  by  the  before  mentioned  treaties : — Namely, 
thence  through  the  middle  of  the  waters  of  this  Bay  to  the  Northwest 
extremity  of  the  same,  being  the  most  Northwestern  point  of  the  Lake 
of  the  Woods,  and  from  a  monument  erected  in  this  Bay,  on  the  nearest 
firm  ground  to  the  Northwest  extremity  of  said  Bay,  the  courses  and  distances 
are  as  follows:  viz,  ist.  N.  56"  W.  1565^^  feet.  2d.  N.  b"  W,  ^1%  feet. 
3d.   N.  28"?  W.  615.4  feet.    4th.  N.  27«  10'  W.  495.4  feet.     5th.  N.  s'  10'  E. 


THE  LAKE  OF  THE  WOODS. 


25 


which  kept  us  in  our  quarters.  I  caught  one  of  our  men 
stealing  flour  out  of  a  bag,  and  another  stealing  sugar ;  these 
two  rascals  had  formed  a  scheme  to  feast  their  women. 

Aug.  yth.    Before  daybreak  the  wind  fell,  when  we  em- 
barked, and  finding  the  water  high  passed  the  little  Portage 

\yX2%  feet.  6th.  N.  7".  W.  493  feet.  The  variation  being  12*  East.  The 
termination  of  this  6th  or  last  course  and  distance  being  the  above  said  most 
Northwestern  Point  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  as  designated  by  the  7th  Article 
of  the  Treaty  of  Ghent,  and  being  in  Latitude  Forty-nine  degrees,  twenty-three 
minutes  and  fifty-five  seconds  North  of  the  Equator,  and  in  Longitude  Ninety- 
five  degrees,  fourteen  minutes  and  thirty-eight  seconds  West  from  the  Observa- 
tory at  Greenwich."  From  the  point  thus  determined,  marked,  and  established 
the  boundary  of  course  dropped  on  the  meridian  indicated  to  the  parallel  of  49' 
N. ;  it  was  so  agreed  upon  and  defined  in  the  treaty  of  Nov.  loth,  1843  ;  and  such 
remained  the  accepted  line  until  it  was  resurveysd  of  late  years,  with  the  result 
of  some  slight  alteration  of  the  determinations  which  had  been  made  by  I.  L. 
Tiarks  and  David  Thompson,  1824-25.  In  April,  1870,  it  was  found  that  the 
line  of  the  49th  parallel  was  not  exactly  where  it  had  been  supposed  to  be  in 
crossing  the  Red  River  of  the  North  in  the  vicinity  of  Pembina,  where  a  mili- 
tary post  was  to  be  established.  The  President  called  attention  to  this  in  his 
message  to  Congress  of  Dec.  20th,  1870,  and  submitted  that  the  whole  boundary 
line  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  should  be  surveyed 
and  marked.  This  led  to  the  Act  of  Congress  of  Mar.  19th,  1872,  authorizing  the 
President,  by  and  with  the  advice  of  the  Senate,  to  co-operate  with  the  govern- 
ment of  Great  Britain  in  the  appointment  of  a  joint  commission  for  the  desired 
purpose,  and  providing  for  suCh  a  commission  on  the  part  of  the  United  States, 
which  was  soon  organized  by  the  appointment  of  Archibald  Campbell,  Esq.,  as 
commissioner,  and  the  detail  of  the  following  engineer  officers  for  the  required 
geodetic  and  topographical  work:  Capt.  F.  U.  Farquhar  (d.  July  3d,  1883), 
Capt.  W.  J.  Twining  (d.  May  5th,  1882) ;  Lieut.  J.  F.  Gregory  ;  Lieut.  F.  V. 
Greene ;  other  officers  being  subsequently  detailed  in  various  capacities, 
myself  among  the  number.  One  of  the  first  pieces  of  field  work  required  was 
the  discovery  and  identification  of  the  old  monument  at  the  Northwest  Angle, 
and  the  re-establishment  of  this  point  by  new  geodetic  observations.  The  party 
reached  the  Angle  Oct.  9th,  1872,  and  were  there  associated  with  Capt.  S.  Ander- 
son, R.  E.,  Chief  Astronomer  of  the  British  Commission  with  whom  they  were 
to  co-operate,  and  other  English  officers.  The  monument  sought  was  a  wooden 
post  in  a  crib-work  of  logs,  erected  in  Oct.,  1824  ;  it  was  gone,  but  what  was 
supposed  to  be  its  exact  site  was  recovered.     The  Northwest  pt.  was  finally 

50.28"  N.,  long.  95«  08'  56.7"  W.;  and  the 


determined  to  be  at  lat. 


49*  23' 


position  thus  i^eed  on  by  Capt.  Anderson  and  Maj.  Farquhar  was  accepted  by 
the  commissioners  on  the  part  of  both  governments,  in  Sept.,  1874.  The  pro- 
tocol concerning  the  whole  boundary,  of  course  including  the  points  here  in 
special  mention,  was  signed  in  London,   May  2gth,   1876,  thus  concluding  the 


3d 


LAKE   OF  THE   WOODS— RAT  PORTAGE. 


h- 


hi 


iiv 


"it- 


'i^. 


,t 


du  Lac  des  Bois  under  full  sail.  This  was  looked  upon  as 
extraordinary ;  we  commonly  carry  our  canoes  and  baggage 
at  this  place  upward  of  half  a  mile,  and  sometimes  a  full 
mile,  according  to  the  state  of  the  water.  We  now  had 
a  fine  breeze  aft,  which  in  a  few  hours  took  us  to  the  end  of 
the  lake,  at  Portage  du  Rat,"  which  is  about  150  paces  over. 
Here  we  found  Indians  making  canoes  for  sale  and  trading 
sturgeon  and  dried  berries  for  liquor.    We  embarked  and 

labors  of  tlie  joint  commission.  The  Northwest  pt.  of  the  I^orthwest  Angle 
of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  and  vicinity,  is  shown  on  a  scale  of  six  inches  to  the 
mile  on  ihe  map  facing  p.  83  of  the  U.  S.  Northern  Boundary  Report 
already  cited.  It  is  a  swampy  spot,  where  Minnesota,  Manitoba,  and  Ontario 
meet,  about  if  m.  from  the  dock  (McPherson's,  H.  B.  Co.)  to  which  the  Daw- 
son road  extends  from  Winnipeg  on  Red  r. ;  another  road  comes  to  this  place 
from  Whitemouth  1.,  Manitoba,  on  the  S.  W. ;  the  Powawassan  and  Nootinaqna- 
ham  Indian  reserves  are  contiguous  or  adjacent,  in  Ontario.  The  boundary  line 
which  drops  due  S.  from  the  N.  W.  pt.  on  the  meridian  of  95°  08'  56.7"  cuts 
off  from  Canada  about  150  sq.  m.  of  U.  S.  mainland,  the  same  constituting 
a  detached  fragment  of  Minnesota  ;  for  this  meridian  strikes  the  parallel  of  49^ 
N.  in  the  lake,  E.  of  the  BufTalo  pt.  already  named,  and  thus  also  the  extreme 
S.  E.  comer  of  Manitoba  is  in  the  water  ;  what  would  otherwise  be  a  right  angle 
being  nicked  off  to  the  extent  of  about  two  townships.  Most  of  the  interna- 
tional water-boundary,  however,  is  of  course  along  the  line  from  the  mouth  of 
Rainy  r.  to  the  entrance  of  the  Northwest  Angle ;  it  starts  N.  between  Oak  pt. 
and  Massacre  isl.,  leaves  Big  isl.  on  the  E.  and  Garden  or  Cornfield  isl.  on  the 
W  ,  and  so  on.  Thus  it  happens  that,  after  more  than  a  century  of  dispute, 
arbitration,  and  survey,  two  nations  have  in  and  about  the  Lake  of  the  Woods 
that  politico-geographical  curiosity  of  a  boundary  that  a  glance  at  the  map 
will  show,  that  no  one  could  have  foreseen,  and  that  would  be  inexplicable  with- 
out some  knowledge  of  the  steps  in  the  process  by  which  it  was  brought  about. 
Either  nation  could  better  have  afforded  to  let  the  boundary  run  around  the  S. 
shore  of  the  lake  from  the  mouth  of  Rainy  r.  to  the  point  where  the  shore  is 
intersected  by  the  parallel  of  49°. 

**  Rat  portage  is  occasioned  by  a  rock  a  few  yards  long.  The  name  is  said  to 
have  originated  in  the  habit  of  muskrats  of  crossing  here  in  great  numbers.  The 
location  is  a  very  well-known  one,  near  the  extreme  N.  or  foot  of  Lake  of  the 
Woods.  Here  the  main  line  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  now  crosses  from  the  town 
of  Rat  Portage  to  a  place  opposite  called  Keewatin,  and  between  these  two  is 
the  outlet  of  the  lake  into  Winnipeg  t.  Henry  gives  us  so  few  names  that  his 
intricate  traverse  of  the  lake  i .  not  easily  traced  in  detail.  Thompson  names  in 
succession  Cormorant  pt.,  the  Red  Stone  (Henry's  Rocher  Rouge),  Wood 
portage  (Henry's  Portage  du  Lac  des  Bois?),  Burnt  Wood  isl..  Grand  "  Galley  " 
(Gp.!<;t),  (.nd  then  Rat  portage. 


WINNIPEG  RIVER— DALLES  AND   PORTAGES. 


27 


began  to  descend  the  River  Winipic ;  **  the  water  was  very 
high-  and  rapid,  and  rather  dangerous.  At  sunset  we 
camped  at  the  Dalles. 

Aug.  8th.  We  embarked  and  proceeded  to  the  Grande 
D^charge,  where  we  carried  about  300  paces.  We  then 
passed  to  Portage  de  la  Terre  Jaune,  about  200  paces ; 
then  a  short  distance  to  Petit  Rocher,  a  portage  of  about 
60  paces ;  thence  to  Portage  de  la  Terre  Blanche,  about  400 
paces ;  then  to  the  Cave,  which  is  about  50  paces,  at  times 
not  so  much."     In  leaving  this  portage  my  canoe  ran  on  a 

••  This  word  is  give,  as  Cree  Wi-nipi,  or  Win-nepe,  meaning  turbid  water. 
In  Canadian  geograpl  :t  has  settled  in  the  form  Winnipeg,  after  long  fluctua- 
tion in  many  diffe:  shapes,  from  such  as  the  early  F.  Ounipigon,  through 
Winnipegon,  Wine^egon,  with  loss  of  final  syllable,  final  g,  k,  c,  or  ck,  one  » 
or  two,  and  all  the  vowels  either  e  or  t.  A  list  of  forms  tabulated  by  C.  N. 
Bell,  in  Trans.  Manitoba  Hist,  and  Sci.  Soc,  Jan.  22d,  1885,  p.  3,  includes 
Ouinipigon,  Verendrye,  1734  ;  Ouinipique,  Dobbs,  1742  ;  Vnipignon,  Gallis- 
soniire,  1750  ;  Ouinipeg,  Bougainville,  1757  ;  Ouinipique,  on  a  F.  map  of  1776  ; 
Winnepeck,  Carver,  1768  ;  Winipegon,  Henry,  1775  ;  Winipic,  McKenzie, 
1789  ;  Winipick,  Harmon,  1800  ;  Winepic,  Ross  Cox,  1817  ;  Winnipic,  School- 
craft, 1820;  Winnepeek,  Keating,  1823;  Winipeg,  Beltrami,  1823;  Winni- 
peg, Back,  1833.  I  have  verified  most  of  these,  and  have  no  doubt  that  others 
could  be  found.  Among  other  names  of  the  river  or  some  part  of  it  may  be  noted 
Riviere  Maurepas  of  Verendrye,  1734 :  White  r.  of  Sir  A.  McKenzie  and  of 
Harmon,  after  Riviere  Blanche  of  the  French  ;  and  Sea  r.  of  Thompson,  1796, 
whence  "  Lee  "  r.  of  some  late  maps :  see  also  Pinawa,  beyond.  It  extends  in 
a  general  W.  N.  W.  direction,  but  with  a  very  tortuous  course  aside  from  its 
minor  reciprocal  bends,  from  the  N.  end  of  Clearwater  1.  (a  part  of  the  old  Lake 
of  the  Woods,  as  we  have  seen)  to  Traverse  bay  in  the  S.  E.  part  of  Lake  Win- 
nipeg ;  its  total  length  is  said  to  be  about  200  m.  It  is  one  of  the  great  water- 
ways, used  as  a  canoe  route  since  the  first  penetration  of  the  whites  into  this 
region,  though  the  rapidity  and  turbulence  of  the  stream,  and  the  maity  obstruc- 
tions in  its  course  in  spite  of  its  great  average  width  and  depth,  render  naviga- 
tion both  difficult  and  dangerous.  An  upper  portion  of  the  river  is  confi  led 
for  some  miles  to  a  width  of  about  40  yards  between  perpendicular  granitic 
cliffs  ;  these  are  the  Dalles  :  for  the  explanation  of  which  term,  see  Lewis  and 
Clark,  ed.  1893,  p.  954.  Henry's  camp  there  was  probably  about  8  m.  down 
river  from  Rat  portage. 

^'  The  five  places  Henry  names  are  easily  collated  with  those  ^iven  in 
Thompson's  MS.;  in  McKenzie,  p.  lix  ;  and  in  Keating's  Long,  IL  p  145. 
I.  The  Grand  Discharge  or  Grande  D&harge  is  named  alike  by  all ;  it  is  a 
place  over  20  m.  down  river,  where  canoes  may  usually  shoot  the  rapids,  empty 
or  partly  laden,  with  good  carriage  on  the  left,  about  200  yards.     Below  this. 


i 


28      ISLAND  HOUSK— ENGLISH    RIVER— ISLAND  PORTAGE. 


f 


rock  and  broke  in  her  bow  as  far  as  the  second  bar.  Wc  put 
ashore  and  repaired,  which  affair  detained  us  some  time,  and 
it  was  late  before  we  came  down  to  the  establishment  of 
Portage  de  I'lsle."  Here  we  found  a  clerk  and  two  men 
who  had  passed  the  summer  at  this  place  ;  with  them  also 
were  a  few  Indians,  who  plagued  me  for  liquor. 

Aug.  gth.  At  daybreak  we  embarked,  giving  the  Indians 
each  ?.  dram.  We  were  troubled  by  a  thick  fog,  which 
caused  us  to  lose  much  time  in  going  round  the  bays.  We 
at  last  got  astray  and  were  obliged  to  wait  until  the  weather 
cleared  up  about  ten  o'clock,  when  we  proceeded  to  Portage 
de  risle,"  about  50  paces  over.    One  of  my  canoes,  to  avoid 


i: 


a  mile  or  more,  are  some  rapids  which  Thompson  mentions  without  name,  which 
McKenzie  calls  little  Decharge,  and  which  neither  Keating  nor  Henry  notices. 
~  Terre  Jaune  or  Yellow  Earth  portage  is  noted  by  Thompson  as  a  carrying- 
^lace,  without  name ;  bv  the  other  three  under  its  F.  name.  This  is  a  m.  o' 
more  below  the  rapids  last  said.  3.  A  small  fraction  of  a  mile  below  Terre 
Jaune  comes  what  Thompson  notes  as  "  another  carrying-place  "  of  40  yards,  on 
the  left,  around  a  rock  ;  what  McKenzie  terms  (with  reference  to  Terre  Jaune) 
"  its  galet  70  yards"  ;  what  Henry  calls  Petit  Rocher ;  and  what  Keating  gives 
more  fully  as  Decharge  du  Petit  Rocher  de  Charette.  4.  Two  m.  or  more 
below  this  Little  Rock  or  Charette  portage  comes  what  Thompson  calls  White 
Earth  portage,  translating  the  F.  phrase  which  all  three  other  authors  use. 
5.  Henry's  "  Cave"  is  at  or  near  a  place  which  Thompson  calls  Flat  Rocks  ; 
which  McKenzie  does  not  notice  ;  but  which  Keating  gives  in  due  form  as 
'Oecharge  de  la  Cave. 

•*  Distinguish  this  N.  \V.  Co.  post  from  the  portage  of  the  same  name. 
Portage  de  I'lsle  House  was  above  the  mouth  of  English  r. ;  Portage  de  I'lsle 
was  below  this  confluence.  The  house  stood  on  the  right  bank  of  Winnipeg  r. , 
at  a  point  given  by  McKenzie  as  3|^  m.  below  Terre  Blanche  or  White  Earth 
portage.  In  approaching  this  house,  Aug.  27th,  1797,  Thompson  speaks  of 
"  the  very  old  French  Fort,"  the  site  of  which  he  passed,  but  the  name  of 
which  he  does  not  give  ;  and  a  short  distance  below  this  he  came  to  "  the  house 
of  Mons.  Frederique,"  concerning  which  he  remarks  pointedly  :  "  Mr.  Wm. 
McKay  this  day  again  establishes  that  post  and  leaves  Frederique  in  charge." 
This  is  the  very  "establishment  of  Portage  de  I'lsle"  which  Henry  has  now 
reached. 

^  Below  the  mouth  of  English  r.,  where  Henry  got  astray  ia  the  fog,  and 
fails  to  notice  this  important  confluence.  None  of  the  maps  or  itineraries 
before  me  enable  me  to  speak  with  confidence  of  distances  hereabouts ; 
McKenzie  seems  to  make  this  portage  4  m.  below  the  mouth  of  English  r. 
Thompson  notes  a  "  wide  opening  on  the  right,"  which  he  says  is  "the  river 


[ii^iSiM'lllwi|t*iBW'<i"'j''  --■  ^'^'''- 


FATAL  ISLAND   PORTAGE  WRECK. 


29 


the  trouble  of  making  this  portage,  passed  down  near  the 
N.  shore  with  a  full  lead.  As  my  own  canoe  was  soon  over 
the  portage,  we  loaded  and  embarked,  and  on  pushing  from 
shore  I  perceived  the  canoe  on  the  N.  side  coming  off  to 
sault  [shoot]  the  rapids.  She  had  not  gone  many  yards 
when,  by  some  mismanagement  of  the  foreman,  the  current 
bore  down  her  bow  full  upon  the  shore,  against  a  rock,  upon 
which  the  fellow,  taking  the  advantage  of  his  situation, 
jumped,  whilst  the  current  whirled  the  canoe  around.  The 
steersman,  finding  himself  within  reach  of  the  shore,  jumped 
upon  the  rock  with  one  of  the  midmen ;  the  other  midman, 
not  being  sufficiently  active,  remained  in  the  canoe,  which 
was  instantly  carried  out  and  lost  to  view  amongst  the  high 
waves.  At  length  she  appeared  and  stood  perpendicular  for 
a  moment,  when  she  sank  down  again,  and  I  then  perceived 
the  man  riding  upon  a  bale  of  dry  goods  in  the  midst  of  the 
waves.  We  made  every  exertion  to  get  near  him,  and  did 
not  cease  calling  out  to  him  to  take  courage  and  not  let  go 
his  hold  ;  but  alas  !  he  sank  under  a  heavy  swell,  and  when 
the  bale  arose  the  man  appeared  no  more.  At  this  time 
we  were  only  a  few  yards  from  him ;  but  while  we  were 
eagerly  looking  out  for  him,  poor  fellow!  the  whirlpool 
caught  my  canoe,  and  before  we  could  get  away  she  was 
half  full  of  water.  We  then  made  all  haste  to  get  ashore, 
unload,  and  go  in  search  of  the  property.  The  canoe  we 
found  flat  upon  the  water,  broken  in  many  places.  However, 
we  hauled  her  ashore,  and  afterward  collected  as  many 
pieces  as  we  could  find.  The  men  had  landed  a  few  pack- 
ages above  the  rapid,  otherwise  our  loss  would  have  been 
still  greater.     The  loss  amounted  to  five  bales  merchandise, 

down  which  the  English  come  from  H.  B.";  1.  e.,  English  r.,  which  forms  a  part 
of  the  usual  route  from  Hudson's  bay.  The  confluence  is  now  the  site  of  the 
Laird  Indian  reserve.  English  r.  has  always  been  an  important  waterway ; 
this  and  Albany  r.  and  their  connections  on  the  Height  of  Land  form  the  present 
northern  boundary  of  the  Province  of  Ontario  between  Manitoba  and  Hudson's 
bay  ;  so  that,  soon  after  passing  the  confluence  of  English  r.  with  Winnipeg  r. , 
on  crossing  the  same  meridian  (95*  08'  56.7"  W.)  which  is  discussed  in  note*', 
Henry  passes  from  Ontario  into  Manitoba. 


I 


30       GRAND  GALKT— JAMES'   FALLS— WOOD   i'OK    AGLS. 

two  bales  new  tobacco,  one  bale  canal  tobacco,  one  bale  ket- 
tles, one  bale  balls,  one  bale  shot,  one  case  guns.  I  was 
surprised  that  a  keg  of  sugar  dtifted  down  about  half  a  mile 
below  the  rapid,  as  its  weight  was  87  lbs.;  it  proved  to  be 
but  little  damciged.  The  kegs  of  gunpowder  also  floated  a 
great  distance,  and  did  not  leak.  Whilst  we  were  very 
busily  employed  repairing  damages,  by  patching  and  mend- 
ing the  canoe  and  diying  the  property,  a  few  Indians  came 
to  us.  I  employed  them  to  search  for  the  goods,  but  they 
could  find  none.  I'hey  appeared  insolent,  and  troubled  me 
a  long  time  for  liquor,  tut  we  gave  them  none.  This 
evening  we  had  a  terrible  Jtorm,  with  thunder,  lightning, 
and  rain. 

Sunday,  Aug.  lotk.  This  morning  we  made  another 
attempt  to  recover  our  packages,  but  our  labor  was  in  vain. 
Although,  at  the  place  where  the  canoe  upset,  the  water 
was  not  more  than  six  feet  deep,  the  current  was  so  swift 
that  everything  must  have  bef^n  swept  below  the  falls.  At 
4  p.  m.  we  were  ready,  havingr  patched  our  broken  canoe  ^ij 
best  we  could,  and  soon  came  to  where  the  Indians  were 
camped,  on  a  small  island.  Gave  them  some  liquor  for 
dressed  skins,  and  proceeded  to  Grand  Galet,'*  where  we 
put  up  for  the  night. 

Aug,  nth.  At  daybreak  we  loaded  and  embarked  ;  our 
broken  canoe  was  very  leaky.  Came  down  to  Chute  k 
Jacques  portage,  of  about  150  paces;  thence  it  is  but  a 
few  miles  to  Grande  Pointe  des  Bois,  a  portage  of  about  400 
paces ;  thence  it  is  but  a  few  yards  to  Petite  Pointe  des 
Bois  portage,  which  is  about  150  paces  over,  here  we 
overtook  24  canoes  bound   for  different  parts.     Everyone 

^  This  was  a  usual  camping-place  between  Portage  de  I'IsIc  and  the  falls 
about  tobe  mentione<:'.  Galet  means  some  sort  of  rock,  and  the  distinction  in 
voyageurs'  usage  between  galet,  roche  or  rocher,  and  pierre,  is  not  always  clear. 
But  galet  generally  seetr.s  to  indicate  large  smooth  rock  in  mass,  as  distinguished 
both  from  large  broken  or  sharp  rocks  and  from  small  stones  ;  a  galet  is  what 
we  should  call  a  bowlder ;  and  I  find  Gram!  Galet  sometimes  formally  translated 
Big  Bowlder,  as  a  place-name.  The  word  is  sometimes  miswritten  galle,  pi. 
galles ;  and  Thompson's  MS.  has  galley  in  some  places. 


I'M 


X 


DOWN  THE  WINNIPEG  TO  THE   IMNAWA. 


3> 


for 
we 


was  anxious  to  get  ahead  and  show  his  activity,  as  is  gen* 
erally  the  case  in  the  N.  W.  This  prodticed  a  scene  of 
bustle  and  confusion,  which  cannot  be  conceived  by  one 
who  has  not  been  an  eye<witne  ;s  of  the  great  exertion  of 
which  the  Northmen  are  capable.  We  proceeded  to  Petit 
Rorher  BrOl^,  a  portage  of  about  150  paces.  My  canoe 
was  the  first  in  the  water  here.  We  passed  on  to  Chute  k 
I'Esclave,  where  we  made  a  portage  of  about  2,000  puces. 
We  came  down  to  the  Barrier,  a  portage  of  about  100 
paces,  on  the  island ;  and  thence  to  the  Grand  Rapid, 
where,  the  water  being  hpropoSt  we  saulted,  though  there  is 
commonly  made  here  a  portage  of  about  15  paces.  A  little 
below  this  rapid  we  camped  at  the  entrance  of  Pennawa 
river." 

Aug.  I2th.  Loaded  early  and  embarked.  Came  to  the 
Petites  Dalles ;  unloaded  half,  and  carried  about  50  paces. 
We  then   proceeded  to  the  first   or  Petit   Portage  de   la 

>*  We  may  conveniently  note  the  above-mentioned  places  in  the  order  in  which 
they  occur,  finishing  with  the  Pinawa :  i.  Clmte  &  Jhcques,  otherwise  known 
as  Jacob's  falls,  Jack's  falls,  and  James'  portage,  is  supposed  to  be  2f  m.  below 
Portage  de  I'lsle  ;  the  descent  of  water  is  about  11  ft.,  and  the  carriage  ik 
on  the  left,  over  bare  rocks,  for  some  80  yards,  a.  Hence  it  is  5  or  6  m. 
to  Grande  Pointe  des  Bois,  or  Big  Woody  Point  portage,  where  there  is  a 
sloping  descent  of  water  of  about  6  ft.;  carriage  190  yards,  in  a  bay.  3. 
Little  Woody  Point  portage  almost  immediately  succeeds  ;  here  the  descent  is 
about  14  ft.,  the  carriage  lOo  yards.  4.  What  Henry  calls  Petit  Rocher  BrflU, 
\  KxSXi  Burnt  Rock,  is  one  of  the  several  galets  which  occur  on  the  route,  some- 
times rendered  simply  Rocky  portage ;  it  is  only  a  mile  or  so  below  the 
last;  descent  7  ft.;  carry  80  yards  over  rocks  on  the  right.  5.  Chute  &  I'Es- 
clave, Slave  falls,  3  m.  below  tHe  last  galet,  occasions  a  portage  of  ^60  yards  on 
the  right ;  the  fall  is  about  ijo  yards  wide,  with  a  sloping  descent  of  15  ft. 
The  aboriginal  name  is  rendered  Awakane  Pawetik  by  Keating,  II.  p.  98,  and 
said  to  have  arisen  in  a  local  tradition.  Keating  figures  Slave  falls,  pi.  9,  and 
also  Petite  Pointe  des  Bois  falls,  pi.  lo;  the  latter  is  called  "  Upper  Falls  of 
the  Winnepeck,"  p.  loo.  fa.  The  Barrier  next  obstructs  navigation,  5  or  6  m. 
•  below  Slave  falls  ;  regarding  Ci\\.  length  of  carriage  here,  we  have  widely  dis- 
crepant statements,  and  I  infer  that  ih-^  reo"'««t?  portage  may  vary  witli  the 
state  of  the  water  or  other  conditions.  7.  The  GranJ  Rapid,  about  lo  m. 
further,  is  a  place  which  may  be  shot  or  must  be  in  part  pnrtaged,  according 
to  circumstances  ;  on  finishing  which,  the  distance  is  about  a  mile  iv.  the  head 
of  the  Pinawa. 


\ 


\l 


3a 


DOWN  "WHITE   KIVEK      TO  BONNET   LAKE. 


h 


Riviere  Blanche,  which  is  about  2cx>  paces ;  then  a  short 
distance  to  the  second  l*ortage  de  la  Rividre  Blanche, 
which  is  about  60  paces  over ;  to  the  Grand  Galet,  a  por- 
tage about  1 50  paces ;  thence  to  the  middle  Portage  de  la 
Rividre  Blanche,  which  is  about  50  paces  over ;  tl.cnce  to 
the  Decharge  k  Bas  Rond,  which  is  not  more  than  20 
paces ;  thence  to  the  Petit  Rocher  de  la  Rivi6re  Blanche, 
which  is  about  100  paces  over  ;  thence  to  the  steep  rock  on 
last  Portage  de  la  Riviere  Blanche,  which  is  about  60 
paces.  We  then  embarked,  saulted  the  D6charge,  and  came 
down  the  rapids  to  Lnc  du  Bonnet ;  '*  which  having  crossed 

'•'*  The  course  down  the  main  river  (Riviire  Blanche,  or  White  r.)  to  Bonnet  I. 
presents  a  iiuccession  of  falU  and  rapids,  requiring  portages  or  discharge*. 
These  are  commonly  given  as  eight  in  number  :  so  th(  elder  Henry,  1775,  who 
speaks  of  the  shallow  stream,  whose  bed  is  rocky  and  jrokcn.  McKenzie,  p.  Ix, 
says  "  seven  portages,  in  so  short  a  space,  that  the  whole  uf  them  are  dis- 
cernible at  the  same  moment."  Thompson's  MS.,  Aug.  39th  and  30th,  1797, 
describes  with  some  particularity  eight  portages,  besides  several  discharges 
where  he  unloaded  and  handed  down  the  canoe  ;  but  he  has  no  names  for  any 
of  them.  Nor  have  I  any  modern  names  with  which  to  identify  the  nine 
which  occur  in  our  text  in  French  forni,  though  most,  if  not  all,  of  them  might 
be  checked  by  Thompson,  in  spite  of  seme  decided  discrepancies  in  their  several 
lengths  as  stated.  Keating,  II.  p.  145,  enumerates  11  to  Henry's  9;  but 
the  difference  in  number  simply  results  from  his  making  two  of  Henry's  Petitet 
Dalles,  and  two  of  Henry's  Grand  Galet.  Keating's  names  are  rJI  in  French, 
and  the  same  as  Henry's,  or  quite  similar,  except  that  he  has  Portage  du 
Cantara  for  Henry's  second  Portage  de  la  Riviere  Blanche,  and  Portage  de 
I'Agace  for  Henry's  Middle  Portage  de  la  Riviire  Blanche.  The  map  in  (]rant's 
From  Ocean  to  Ocean,  p.  49,  marks  "  the  7  portages"  which  are  so  close  to> 
gether,  just  above  the  elbow  or  turn  of  the  river. 

I  have  reviewed  with  care  the  whole  question  of  the  several  names  applied  to 
this  section  of  the  river,  where  it  has  a  double  course,  and  find  nothing  to 
invalidate  the  position  I  take,  briefly  this  :  (i)  The  main  course,  which  was  also 
the  regular  or  most  usual  canoe  route,  and  the  one  down  which  Henry  went,  is 
K.  Blanche  or  White  r.,  so  calle<l  from  its  foaming  waters  ;  this  name  being 
extended  thence  to  Lake  Winnipeg  by  some  authors,  following  McKenzie's 
map  ;  and  Sea  r.  being  another  name  of  the  same,  for  the  same  reason, 
(a)  The  Pinawa,  Penawa,  Pennawa,  Pinawac,  or  Pinnawas,  is  the  collateral 
channel,  of  which  Covert  r.  is  a  synonym. 

Lac  du  Bonnet  or  Bonnet  I.  is  said  by  McKenzie  to  have  derived  its  name 
from  an  Indian  custom  of  making  circles  of  stones,  crowned  with  wreaths,  on 
top  of  the  rocks  at    the  portage.     The  phrase  appears  as    Lac  de  Bonne  in 


SUCCESSIVE   BONNET   PORTAGES. 


ss 


we  camped  at  I/Anse  de   Sable,  where  we  found  a  few 
Indians. 

Aug.  ijth.  As  soon  as  day  appeared,  we  embarked  and 
came  to  Petit  Rochcrdu  Lac  du  Honnet,  a  portage  of  about 
40  paces;  thence  to  Petit  Richer  du  Bonnet,  which  portage 
is  about  200  paces  over;  thence  to  Portage  du  Bonnet, 
which  is  almost  two  miles  long."  Having  got  all  over,  we 
loaded  and  proceeded  to  Galet  du  Bonnet,  which  is  about 

Harmon,  by  error  ;  it  it  alio  often  translated  Cap  I.,  and  this  term  is  found  a^ 
Cat  I.,  by  misprint.  This  water  is  simply  an  expansion  of  the  main  stream 
which  receives  the  Pinawa  again,  after  the  latter  has  flowed  in  a  separate  course 
from  that  of  the  Winnipeg  proper  for  a  distance  of  about  18  m.  The 
great  island  thus  inclosed  is  of  irregularly  oblong  figure,  with  a  length  just 
indicated,  and  an  average  breadth  of  perhaps  10  m.  The  long  diameter  is  N. 
andS.,  with  the  Pinawa  on  the  E.,  the  Winnipeg  on  the  S.  and  W.,  and 
Bonnet  1.  on  the  N.  The  expanse  of  water  is  mainly  in  Tp.  16  of  ranges  xi 
and  xii,  E.  of  the  principal  meridian.  The  lake  receives  at  its  E.  end  a  large 
feeder  from  the  N.  E.  This  is  Bird  r.,  flowing  through  Bird,  Snowshoe,  and 
other  lakes  ;  its  F.  name  was  R.  Oiseau,  easily  mistaken  for  "  Roseau"  by  a  care- 
leM  engraver,  whence  "  R.  Roseau  "  on  one  of  the  maps  before  me  ;  another 
map  letters  "  R.  L'Oisseur."  The  kind  of  bird  for  which  the  stream  was 
named  seems  to  have  been  the  eagle,  to  judge  from  the  fact  that  Eagle  r. 
appears  as  its  name  on  some  maps.  I  suspect  that  McKenzie's  explanation  of 
"  liunnet  "  as  the  name  of  the  lake  is  fictitious  ;  that  the  "  bonnet "  in  question 
implies  an  Indian's  head-dress  of  eagle's  plumes  ;  and  that,  further,  the  name 
Pinawa  will  be  found  to  have  the  same  implication  ;  but  I  am  unable  to  show 
that  my  suspicion  is  well  founded.  A  much  smaller  feeder  which  Bonnet  1. 
also  receives  near  its  E.  end  is  Rat  r.,  from  a  lake  of  the  same  name.  The 
main  course  of  Winnipeg  r.  between  the  separation  of  the  Pinawa  and  the  ex- 
pansion  of  Bonnet  1.  receives  Whitemouth  r.  This  is  a  large  tributary,  which 
arises  in  and  near  Whitemouth  1.,  in  the  S.  E.  part  of  Provencher  district  of 
Manitoba,  and  flows  little  W.  of  N.  into  Winnipeg  r.  in  Tp.  13,  R.  xi',  E.  of  the 
princ.  mend.  This  river  is  crossed  by  the  Dawson  road  (note  **,  p.  36) ;  and  also 
by  the  C.  P.  Ry.  at  Whitemouth  sta. 

"  There  is  little  conformity  in  records  of  the  time  in  the  nomenclature  of 
these  several  "  Bonnet "  portages,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  other 
obstructions  to  navigation  of  which  the  above  paragraph  speaks.  Henry's  list 
of  names  for  the  13th,  like  that  for  the  lath,  is  the  most  particular  one  I 
have  seen,  in  print  or  in  manuscript.  His  two  first  Petit  Rocher  portages  are 
the  two  galets  of  the  same  names  which  McKenzie  gives  a&  i%m.  apart,  and 
the  two  named  Portages  du  Rocher  du  Ponnet  d'en  haut  of  Keating's  list.  The 
main  Bonnet  portage,  "  almost  two  miles  long,"  is  given  by  Thompson  as  only 
1,033  yards,  by  Keating  as  1,760  yards,  by  McKenzie  as  "  near  half  a  league 


Is 


34 


PORTAGES  FINISHING  WINNIPEG  RIVER. 


<m-  i 


1 50  paces ;  thence  to  Portage  de  la  Terre  Blanche,  about  400 
paces  long ;  thence  to  Portage  des  Chdnes,  which  is  about 
200  paces.  Hence  it  is  but  a  few  yards  to  the  first  Eaux 
qui  Remuent  portage,  of  about  400  paces,  on  making  which 
we  proceeded  to  the  D^charge  de  L'Islette ;  both  of  these 
we  saulted,  although  we  commonly  carry  at  those  places. 
We  then  came  to  the  last  Eaux  qui  Remuent,  about  400 
paces  over.  Loaded,  embarked,  and  came  down  the  last 
D^charge  of  Winipic  river,  where  also  at  times  we  are 
obliged  to  carry,  according  to  the  state  of  the  water. 
Camped  this  evening  at  Galet  de  la  Pointe  aux  Loutres^ 
where  formerly  the  storehouse  for  provisions  stood."  Here 
we  found  two  men  fishing  with  hook  and  line. 

long  "  and  3  m.  below  the  last.  To  this,  "  another  small  portage  immediately 
succeeds,"  says  McKenzie ;  this  is  Henry's  Galet  du  Bonnet,  which  Keating 
omits.  All  the  authors  agree  on  Portage  de  la  Terre  Blanche,  otherwise  White 
Earth  portage,  which  is  about  2}4  >"•  below  the  last-named  galet.  Portage  des 
Ch£nes,  Oak  portage,  does  not  appear  in  McKenzie,  who  enumerates  (Aree 
Eaux  qui  Remuent  porti^es.  his  first  of  which  is  apparently  Oak  portage,  close 
to  his  second  one,  his  third  being  3>^  m.  below  ;  the  phrase  means  "  waters 
which  move,"  t.  e.,  troubled  waters — in  a  word,  breakers.  Keating  gives 
(I)  Port^e  des  Chines ;  (3)  Portage  des  Grandes  Eaux  qui  remuent ;  (3)  D^- 
charge  du  defunt  Minet — a  name  I  have  not  seen  elsewhere.  Keating's  next 
is  his  D^charge  de  1'Illet,  apparently  the  same  as  Henry's  Decharge  de  L'Islette. 
Henry's  last  Eaux  qui  Remuent  seem  to  be  Keating's  last  Portage  des  Eaux 
mouvantes.  Neither  McKenzie  nor  Keating  has  a  name  for  either  of  the  two 
other  places  Henry  names.  The  course  of  Winnipeg  r.  from  Bonnet  1. 
to  Lake  Winnipeg  is  N.  W.  (independently  of  its  minor  bends),  through 
Tps.  16,  17,  R.  xi,  the  comer  of  Tp.  17,  R.  x,  Tp.  18,  R.  x,  E.  of  the 
princ.  merid.,  on  the  W.  border  of  which  last  tp.  it  enters  the  present  Indian 
reserve,  through  which  it  runs  to  its  debouchment  in  Traverse  bay  of  Lake 
Winnipeg.  In  this  course  two  of  the  principal  obstructions  are  those  now 
called  Silver  falls  and  Manitou  rapids,  both  in  the  tp.  last  said.  The  river 
receives  some  small  tributaries  along  here,  among  them  Maskwa  r.,  which 
enters  on  the  right  between  the  falls  and  the  rapids  named.  The  Indian 
reserve  (Kakepenais)  occupies  portions  of  three  contiguous  tps.  about  the 
mouth  of  the  river ;  and  here  is  the  situation  of  establishments  which  date 
back  to  1734. 

^"  Otter  Point  Rock  is  thus  designated  as  the  site  of  a  N.  W.  Co.  establish- 
ment which  was  "old"  in  1800,  and  is  to  be  carefully  distinguished  from  the 
post  of  the  same  company  in  operation  at  that  date,  as  well  as  from  several 
others  to  be  presently  mentioned.     Thompson's  MS.  of  Sept.  1st,  1797,  speaks 


FORT  AU   BAS  DE  LA  RIVlfeRE. 


35 


i: 


Aug.  i^th.  This  morning  I  waited  for  my  canoes,  which 
arrived  at  ten  o'clock;  when  we  loaded,  embarked,  and  in 
a  short  tim6  arrived  at  the  fort  or  establishment  of  Bas 
de  la  Riviere  Winipic,**  the  general  d^pdt  for  provisions 
which  are  brotrght  from  Red  and  Assiniboine  rivers 
every  spring  in  long  boats.  These  carry  from  i(X>  to  250 
bags  of  provisions,  of  90  pounds  each. 

Here  we  unloaded  our  canoes,  and  sent  a  party  of  men 
over  the  river  to  the   little   fort   for  boats.      At   twelve 

of  passing  "  the  old  house  on  the  left "  as  he  came  down  river,  and  then  lieep- 
ing  on  a  mile  or  so  to  the  occupied  post  of  his  company.  The  situation  was 
t!  us  approx.  that  of  Fort  Alexander,  being  about  4  m.  above  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  and  across  it  from  the  site  of  Fort  Maurepas  :  see  next  note. 

^*  "  Bas  de  la  Riviire  "  has  been  notable  in  the  annals  of  the  fur-trade  for 
more  than  a  century  and  a  half.  It  was  naturally  a  key  position,  on  one  of  the 
greatest  waterways — the  entrance  of  Winnipeg  r.  into  Traverse  bay  of  Lake 
Winnipeg.  It  was  only  thrown  out  of  the  main  line  of  travel  when  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Ry.  went  through,  further  S.,  and  Fort  Alexander  is  still 
maintained  as  a  post  of  the  H.  B.  Co.,  though  no  considerable  settlement  ha» 
ever  sprung  up  on  the  historic  spot.  The  record  of  occupancy  by  the  whites 
goes  back  to  1734,  when  Verendrye  built  Fort  Maurepas  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  river  near  its  mouth  ;  and  named  it,  as  he  also  had  named  the  whole  river, 
in  honor  of  Jean  Frederic  Phelippeaux,  Comte  de  Maurepas,  minister  under 
Louis  XV.  and  Louis  XVI..  b.  July  gth,  1701,  d.  Nov.  21st,  1781,  and  in 
trouble  with  the  Pompadour  about  1749.  Verendrye  himself  was  at  his  post 
again  Sept.  22d,  1738  ;  he  calls  it  Fort  Marpas,  and  says  that  he  left  in  charge 
M.  de  la  Riviere  and  nine  men  :  Rep.  Canad.  Arch.,  1890,  p.  7.  When  the 
elder  Henry  came  by,  in  Aug.,  1775,  the  place  was  occupied  by  a  large  Cree 
village,  but  nothing  is  said  of  any  trading-house.  In  1792  the  site  of  Fort 
Alexander  was  occupied  by  Toussaint  Le  Sieur,  and  we  hear  about  this  time 
of  "the  Sieur's  Fort,"  as  it  was  once  called  :  e.  g.,  in  J.  McDonnell's  journal 
of  May  37th,  1793,  in  Masson,  I.  1886,  p.  291.  This  Le  Sieur  was  in  charge 
at  Fort  Alexander  in  1794  ;  he  is  probably  the  same  as  one  Le  Sieur  who 
was  in  partnership  with  Simon  Fraser  in  1789  ;  and  we  shall  hear  again  of 
Toussaint  Le  Sieur,  as  a  clerk  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  in  Henry's  text.  The 
N.  W.  Co.  house  which  Henry  has  reached  was  within  some  rods  of  Fort 
Alexander,  on  th?  S.  or  left  bank  of  the  river.  Thompson's  MSS.  of  1796 
and  later,  speak  of  it  as  the  Winnipeg  Tiouse,  avoiding  the  rather  awkward 
F.  phrase  which  was  then  most  current — Fort  au  Bas  de  la  Riviire 
was  .its  usual  form,  as  much  as  to  say  "  Down  river "  fort,  by  a  sort  of 
adverbial  construction,  Harmon,  who  passed  Bas  de  la  Riviire  two  weeks 
before  Henry  did,  in  1800,  says  that  the  N.  W.  Co.  and  the  H.  B.  Co. 
"have  each  a  fort,"  p.  46. 


i^l 


I 
'% 


fi 


il; 


m 


\\ 


36 


DIFFERENT  DOWN-RIVER   POSTS. 


,■1 


i) 


1 


li 


o'clock  they  returned  with  two,  the  others  having  been 
burned  last  spring  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  the  nails 
to  make  new  ones  the  ensuing  season.  This  day  we  passed 
in  repairing  the  boats  and  canoes,  making  setting-poles, 
and  examining  the  different  baggages ;  found  small  pack, 
ages  much  damaged,  and  kegs  of  wine  not  more  than  half 
full,  having  been  cracked  by  falling  upon  the  rocks  and 
the  liquor  leaked  out.  The  Canadians  are  certainly  smart, 
active  men  as  voyageurs,  but  very  careless  of  property 
committed  to  their  charge. 

The  H.  B.  Co.  have  an  establishment  at  this  place  near 
the  N.  W.  Co.  They  have  a  clerk  and  two  men  who  pass 
the  summer  here,  but  talk  about  throwing  it  up  this  fall, 
as  a  post  will  not  pay  expenses.  Their  object  in  settling 
was  to  make  packages,  but,  from  the  scarcity  of  beavers, 
they  have  been  disappointed ;  and  have  no  occasion  for  a 
d^pdt  of  provisions,  as  they  bring  their  fall  stock  from 
Martin's  falls. 

Aug:  15th.  Fine  clear  weather ;  dried  our  bales  and 
other  articles ;  repaired  boat  and  canoes.  I  also  arranged 
the  men  and  their  loadings,  taking  from  each  canoe  one 
man  and  five  packages  to  put  on  board  the  boat ;  gave 
each  craft  a  bag  of  provisions,  with  grease,  gum,  bark,  and 
wattap."  At  3  p.  m.  they  were  ready,  when  I  sent  them 
off  down  to  the  entrance  of  the  lake.*' 


I  il 


**  Of  these  articles,  the  grease  was  a  part  of  the  provisions.  The  gum  was  the 
resinous  substance  of  spruce  or  other  conifers,  as  prepared  for  stopping  leaks  in 
canoes  by  a  process  like  calking.  The  bark  was  that  of  the  birch,  of  which  the 
canoes  were  themselves  made,  in  pieces  to  be  used  for  patching  broken  or  weak- 
ened places.  Wattap  was  the  fine  fibrous  roots  of  spruce  or  iir,  used  for  lacing 
the  canoes :  see  Pike,  ed.  1895,  p.  loi.  We  also  see  from  the  above  para- 
graph a  distinction  drawn  between  the  large  "  boat"  and  the  ordinary  canoe. 

*'  Mouth  of  Winnipeg  r.,  at  the  head  of  Traverse  bay,  an  arm  of  Lake  Win- 
nipeg.  The  Point  de  Sable,  which  Henry  next  mentions,  was  on  the  S.  side, 
marking  the  outlet  of  the  river.  Thompson  says  that  he  went  N.  10'  W.  ^m., 
N.  a8»  W.  y^m.,  and  N.  28"  W.  Yz  m.,  from  the  N.  W.  Co.  House  to  this 
Point  of  Sand,  and  that  the  river  was  there  \  m.  wide.  Traverse  bay  is  marked 
off  on  the  N,  by  present  Point  Metasse,  about  6  m.  N.  N.  W.  of  Sandy  pt. ; 
and  is  better  marked  on  the  S.  and  W.  by  a  large  projection  of  land  which  ends 


LAKE  WINNIPEG— TRAVERSE  BAY. 


37 


/in- 
side, 
jm., 


Aug.  1 6th.  Early  I  embarked  and  soon  overtook  my 
people  at  Pointe  de  Sable;  they  were  all  busy  loading. 
Having  waited  for  them,  we  instantly  entered  Lake  Winipic, 
".eeping  the  last  land  on  the  S.  shore.  The  weather  being 
fine  and  clear,  we  stood  out  with  the  intention  of  making  the 
traverse ;  but  had  not  gone  above  a  mile  when  suddenly  the 
wind  rose  to  a  gale  from  the  N.,  followed  by  a  high  swell. 
Before  we  could  reach  the  shore  we  had  several  sand-banks 
to  pass  over,  where  it  was  almost  too  shallow  for  the  craft  to 
swim.  This  occasioned  a  short,  tumbling  sea  which  dashed 
over  us,  and  before  we  could  land  our  canoes  were  half  full 
of  water,  and  all  of  us  wet  to  the  skin.  After  much  trouble 
we  got  everything  on  shore,  though  one  of  my  canoes  was 
split  asunder  from  one  gunnel  to  the  other.     The  guide 

about  13  m.  W.  N.  W.  of  Sandy  pt.  Close  off  this  land's  end  is  present  Elk 
isl.,  formerly  Red  Deer  isl.,  and  before  that  Isle  k  la  Biche — a  name  which  once 
caused  Traverse  bay  to  be  known  as  Baie  de  I'lsle  4  la  Biche.  Henry  hv 
to  weather  the  land's  end  and  then  turn  S.  to  the  head  of  Lake  Winni- 
peg,  to  reach  the  mouth  of  the  Red  River  of  the  North.  The  immense 
body  of  water  upon  which  he  will  thus  enter  has  probably  been  known, 
or  known  of,  by  the  whites  since  i66o,  through  information  received 
from  Radisson  and  Groseilliers ;  it  appears  on  Franquelin's  map,  i688, 
and  about  the  end  of  the  century  was  well  enough  known  to  be  delineated 
in  the  two  parts  into  which  it  is  separated  at  the  Narrows;  and  these 
two  had  already  received  different  names.  The  lake  has  been  called  by  four 
distinct  names,  Mrithout  counting  the  unnumbered  variants  of  three  of  these. 
I.  About  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  and  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century 
the  main  upper  portion  was  the  Lake  of  the  Crees  or  Kris — Lac  des  Christineaux, 
Cristinaux,  Kristineaux,  Kinistinoes,  Killistinaux,  Killistinoes,  Killistinons, 
Knistineaux — and  what  not  in  way  of  variation  in  that  insufferable  word.  The 
elder  Henry  says  that  the  lake  was  sometimes  so  called  in  1776  :  but  the  Cree 
designation  seems  to  have  usually  attached  rather  to  the  main  part  than  to  the 
whole,  and  from  the  first  Was  alternative  to  the  name  which  reflected  a  different 
tribe  of  Indians — the  Stone  Sioux,  or  Assiniboines.  3.  Thus,  we  find  Lac  des 
Assinipoualacs,  Assinebouels,  Assenepolis,  Assinipoils,  Asiliboils,  etc.,  as  a  name 
of  the  whole,  though  with  more  special  application  to  the  southern  extension  of 
these  waters,  and  often  so  applied  erdusively.  I  have  cited  only  some  of  the 
early  forms  of  this  word,  which  ran  through  variants  probably  only  less  numer- 
ous  than  the  other  one  just  said.  3.  Nothing  like  the  present  name  Winnipeg 
has  been  traced  back  of  the  Ouinipigon  of  Verendrye,  1734  ;  so  that  this  series  of 
names  probably  comes  third  in  order  of  time  :  see  note  '",  p.  37.  4.  But  about 
the  middle  of  the  last  century,  at  least  as  early  as  1749,  when  Verendrye  estab- 


1'  1 
fill 


i\\ 


■w 


m 


i 


.  i  > 


y 


' 


f  I, 
■I 


38 


LAKE  WINNIPEG — ELK  ISLAND. 


1^. 


1 


i 


t    A  ( 


i  If 


1  iV- 


was  instantly  at  work  repairing  her,  whilst  all  hanils  were 
employed  in  drying  the  goods.  Having  fine  weather,  we 
got  everything  in  order  again ;  at  two  o'clock  the  wind 
abated,  we  embarked,  and  soon  after  passed  Red  Deer  [now 
Elk]  island.  Here  is  a  narrow  strait  between  the  island  and 
the  mainland,  which  some  years  obliges  us  to  portage  about 
200  paces,  across  a  neck  of  sand ;  but  this  year  the  water 
being  very  high  we  got  through  without  unloading.  From 
Bas  de  la  Riviere  to  this  place  is  W.  six  leagues.  We  had 
no  sooner  got  from  behind  the  island  than  the  wind  sprung 
up  from  the  W.,  off  the  lake,  accompanied  by  a  heavy  swell, 
which  obliged  us  to  put  ashore  and  unload.  We  remained 
until  sunset,  when  the  wind  abated.    With  great  difficulty 

lished  Fort  Bourbon  on  the  Saskatchewan  (Cedar  1.),  the  lake  came  to  be  called 
Lac  Bourbon,  or  de  Bourbon ;  and  the  same  name  was  extended  to  the  great  river 
by  which  it  discharges  into  Hudson's  bay,  afterward  known  as  York  and  now 
as  Nelson  r.  But  Lake  Bourbon  seems  never  to  have  been  in  very  general  use, 
nor  to  have  been  long  current.  5.  I  have  noted  the  term  Grand  Lac,  but  this 
may  have  been  a  mere  descriptive  epithet  rather  than  a  proper  name.  Recurring 
now  to  the  very  early  history,  I  should  not  omit  to  note  the  jouinal  of  Henry 
Kellsey,  of  the  H.  B.  Co.,  showing  that  he  was  on  Lake  Winnipeg  in  July  and 
Aug.,  1692  :  see  Bell,  /.  e,  A  great  deal  was  learned  of  the  lake  under  the 
old  regime,  as  is  shown  by  the  many  French  names  of  its  various  features  which 
still  linger  in  their  original  forms,  or  have  been  rendered  in  English  equivalents  ; 
and  there  are  more  of  the  latter  than  would  be  suspected  at  first  blush.  The 
lake  may  be  considered  to  have  become  well  known  in  its  main  features  soon 
after  the  change  from  French  to  English  rule  iii  1763.  It  extends  through  about 
3/4  degrees  of  latitude,  between  50°  and  54°,  having  a  length  of  some  250  m., 
of  which  the  southern  division  only  forms  some  85  m. ;  the  general  direction  of 
the  long  axis  is  not  far  from  N  and  S.,  with  the  meridian  of  98^  dividing 
it  into  approximately  equal  parts  E.       1  W. ;  the  southern  division  and  about 

Manitoba,  the  rest  in  Keewatin.  Be- 
innipeg  receives  the  waters  of  the  Rainy 
i  have  already  seen  ;  of  the  Red  River 
.ose  united  stream  enters  the  head  of  the 
southern  division  ;  of  the  Dauphin  River  system,  from  Lake  Manitoba,  etc., 
which  enter  in  the  S.  W.  portion  of  the  northern  division  ;  and  the  Saskatche- 
wan waters,  issuing  at  the  extreme  W.  of  the  northern  division.  The  discharge 
of  the  whole  lake  is  from  its  N.  end  through  Nelson  r.  into  Hudson's  bay. 
It  may  be  called  the  great  reservoir  of  all  the  waters  thus  indicated  ;  and  these 
are  gathered  from  sources  as  remote  from  one  another  as  the  vicinity  of  Lake 
Superior  is  distant  from  the  Continental  Divide  of  the  Rocky  mts. 


half  of  the  main  northern  portion 
sides  its  numerous  small  feeders,  L 1 
River  and  English  River  systems,  ; 
of  the  North  and  the  Assiniboine, 


I  • 


LAKE   WINNIPEG— GRAND   MARAIS. 


39 


we  loaded  and  embarked,  with  an  aft  wind,  from  the  N. 
Our  course  from  Red  Deer  island  was  about  S.  After  dark 
the  wind  increased.  We  could  find  no  convenient  place  to 
land — nothing  but  large  rocks,  over  which  the  sea  broke 
dangerously.  Necessity  kept  us  on  with  our  sails  close- 
reefed,  until  we  reached  the  Point  of  the  Grand  Marais. 
Here  the  sea  ran  so  high  that  we  shipped  a  quantity  of 
water,  which  kept  us  using  kettles  to  bail  it  out  as  fast  as  it 
came  in.  At  last  we  sighted  the  Grand  Marais,  and  finding 
ourselves  more  under  a  lee,  we  ran  in  safely  about  ten 
o'clock."  It  was  some  time  before  all  the  canoes  and  boats 
reached  us. 

Sunday f  Aug.  lyth.  Early  this  morning  I  was  anxious  to 
proceed.  The  wind  had  fallen,  but  as  the  swell  was  still 
very  high,  the  guide  thought  it  imprudent  to  attempt  the 
traverse  of  about  six  leagues  to  the  entrance  of  Red  river. 
Our  disaster  of  yesterday  being  no  encouragement  to  defy 
the  elen.ents,  we  dried  our  things  and  I  went  duck  shooting, 
having  seen  great  numbers  in  the  marais  during  my  walk. 
I  shot  several,  and  observed  the  tracks  of  moose,  red  deer, 
and  bears.  The  beach  was  covered  with  grasshoppers," 
which  had  been  thrown  up  by  the  waves  and  formed  one 
continuous  line  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach ;  in  some 
places  they  lay  from  six  to  nine  inches  deep,  and  in  a  state 
of  putrefaction,  which  occasioned  a  horrid  stench.  I  also 
shot  a  pelican  [Pelecanus  erythrorhynchus],  of  which  there 
are  great  plenty  here.  During  my  absence  a  party  of  my 
people  had  been  out  to  raise  cedar  for  repairing  their  canoes 

**  Henry  put  in  on  the  W.  shore  of  the  peninsula  which  delimits  Traverse 
bay,  about  halfway  from  the  land's  end  of  that  peninsula  to  the  mouth  of  Red  r. 
The  Grand  Marais  or  Big  Marsh  used  to  be  called  6  leagues  from  Red  r., 
but  is  not  quite  so  fur.  A  bay  in  this  vicinity  was  known  as  Indian  Portage 
bay,  because  they  used  to  carry  5  or  6  m,  N.  E.  across  the  peninsula  into 
Traverse  bay,  instead  of  rou'  ding  the  point.  Henry  habitually  uses  the  F. 
marais,  not  only  in  proper  names,  but  a,  an  English  word,  instead  of  marsh, 
morass,  swamp,  or  bog ;  the  copy  commonly  spells  marrais,  which  I  correct. 

*^  Rocky  Mountain  locust,  Calopttnus  sfrttus:  compare  date  of  June  25th, 
1808,  beyond. 


1 


li 


y 


\  I 


,1'  '•  ■ 
\  -  ! 

■ 


% 


1? 


J 


V  >  '.. 


iiH 


(Hi 


II 


40 


LAKE    WINNIPl.G— MOUTH   OF   RED    KIVER. 


next  spring,  there  being  no  wood  of  that  kind  on  Red  river ; 
another  party  had  been  raising  wattap  for  tUe  same  purpose. 
We  found  an  abundance  of  sand-cherries  [Prunus  pumila], 
which  were  of  an  excellent  flavor.  At  twelve  o'clock  we 
embarked,  but  there  being  stMI  some  wind,  we  thought  pru- 
dent to  coast  the  bay.  We  accordingly  proceeded  along  a 
fine  sandy  beach  to  Catfish  river,  when  our  course  changed 
to  the  W."  This  river  rises  out  of  some  large  swamps  and 
small  lakes  on  Cypress  hills,  which  bear  about  S.  S.  E.  We 
proceeded  along  a  low  strip  of  land  with  shoal  water,  which 
kept  us  some  distctnce  from  shore.  At  three  o'clock  we  ar- 
rived at  the  entrance  of  Red  river."  This  river  empties  into 
Lake  Winipic  by  three  large  channels ;  the  middle  one  is 
that  by  which  we  generally  pass,  as  there  is  a  tolerably 
good  camp  at  its  mouth  ;  the  land  is  low,  and  may  be  said  to 
consist  of  one  continued  marais;  what  little  dry  land  is  to 
be  found  is  covered  with  low  willows  and  high  grass  and 
reeds.  Wild  fowl  are  very  numerous.  We  found  some  In- 
dians, who  had  many  sturgeon  and  various  kinds  of  small 

**  The  bay  which  Henry  coasts  to  his  Catfish  r.  is  the  general  angular  inden- 
tation at  the  head  of  which  is  the  place  called  Balsam  Bay,  about  the  center  of 
Tp.  17,  R.  vii,  E.  of  the  princ.  mcrid.  A  winter  road  goes  hence  N.  E.  across 
the  base  of  the  peninsula  to  Fort  Alexander.  Catfish  r.  is  now  called  Brokenhead 
r. ,  and  has  a  place  of  the  same  name  on  it  ;  it  arises  in  the  Provencher  district 
of  Manitoba,  where  the  Dawson  road  crosses  it  not  very  far  from  its  sources, 
Hows  on  the  whole  little  W.  of  N.  through  Selkirk  district,  in  which  it  is 
crossed  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Ry.  at  Beausejour,  and  falls  into  Pruden's  bay 
through  the  present  Indian  reserve,  in  Tp.  16,  R.  vi. 

*•  For  a  contemporary  account  of  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  up  which 
Henry  now  goes  to  establish  his  post  for  the  winter  o'  1800-01,  see  John 
McDonnell's  Some  Account  of  the  Red  River,  about  1797,  with  Extracts  from 
his  Journals,  1793-95.  in  Masson's  Les  Bourgeois  de  la  Compagnie  du  Nord- 
Ouest,  1st  ser.,  1889,  pp.  265-93.  John  McDonnell  was  a  brother  of  Miles 
McDonnell,  the  first  governor  of  Lord  Selkirk's  Red  River  colony.  John  be- 
Kiame  a  partner  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  about  1796,  and  remained  in  the  country  until 
1815  ;  sold  out,  and  settled  at  Pointe  Fortune,  in  the  township  of  Hawkesbury, 
where  he  kept  a  store,  ran  boats  to  Montreal,  died,  leaving  several  children  who 
<lied  without  issue,  and  was  buried  in  the  Catholic  cemetery  of  Rigaud.  W.  J. 
McDonnell,  vice  consul  of  France  at  Toronto  in  1886,  was  his  nephew.  Red  r. 
has  an  extensive  marshy  delta  with  several  small  channels  besides  the  three  main 
openings  through  the  middle  one  of  which  Henry  enters  Prudc.i's  bay. 


RED   RIVER— iNETLEV    CREEK. 


41 


fishes,  such  as  catfish,  piccanan,  male  achegan,  brim,  pois 
d'uile,  etc.  They  use  a  seine  about  five  fathoms  in  length, 
hauled  between  two  canoes.  We  purchased  some  fish  for 
liquor,  and  proceeded  up  Red  river,  with  a  gentle  current 
and  deep  water.  Our  course  was  S.  until  we  passed  the 
other  two  channels,  when  we  turned  W.  and  soon  came  to 
Riviere  aux  Morts/'  about  nine  miles  from  the  lake.  Here 
was  another  small  camp  of  Indians,  who  had  plenty  of  fish, 
some  dried  meat,  and  a  few  beaver  skins  which  I  traded. 

This  small  river  comes  in  from  the  W.,  receiving  its 
waters  from  some  lakes  and  bogs  a  little  £.  of  Lake  Mani- 
toubane  [Manitoba].  It  derives  its  melancholy  name  from 
a  tragic  event  which  happened  many  years  ago,  when  the 
Crees,  vho  had  no  other  means  of  procuring  necessaries 
than  by  making  an  annual  journey  to  York  Factory,  on 
Hudson's  bay,  generally  assembled  at  this  spot  in  the 
spring.  Having  made  every  necessary  preparation,  the 
chiefs  and  most  active  young  men  and  women  embarked  in 
small  canoes  with  their  furs,  leaving  the  old  people  and 
children  to  pass  the  summer  at  this  place,  where  there  was 
plenty  of  game  and  fish.  Once,  during  the  absence  of  the 
main  party,  the  Sioux  fell  upon  this  helpless  camp,  and 
destroyed  a  great  number  of  old  men,  women,  and  children. 
The  others  arrived  too  late  to  revenge  themselves  upon  the 
enemy.  At  this  river  the  mainland  really  begins,  although 
it  is  nearly  nine  miles  from  the  lake ;  Red  river  is  here 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide. 

**  R.  aux  Morts  translates  the  aboriginal  name  which,  in  its  application  to 
this  creek,  is  found  as  Nipuwin,  or  Nipuwinsipi ;  in  James'  Tanner's  Narr. 
Ne-bo-wese-be  («.  e,,  Nebowe  r.),  p.  177  ;  in  Keating's  Long's  Exp.  Onepowe  ; 
it  is  translated  River  of  the  Dead,  Dead  r.,  and  Death  r.  The  tragic  event 
Henry  narrates  is  said  to  have  occurred  about  1780.  The  st-eam  is  now 
called  Netley  or  Nettley  cr.;  it  falls  in  at  the  N.  border  of  the  large  Indian 
reserve,  which  hence  extends  up  both  sides  of  the  river  for  about  il  m.,  the 
mouth  of  the  creek  being  in  Tp.  15  of  R.  v,  E.  of  the  princ.  merid.  Slightly 
below  this  point  Red  r.  expands  into  a  little  lake,  also  called  Netley  ;  and  also 
receives  Devil's  cr.,  a  small  stream  from  the  S.  E.  which  cuts  the  N.  E.  comer 
of  the  Indian  reserve,  and  in  passing  that  point  presents  the  dilatation  known  as 
Devil's  1. 


Il', 


I 


\  > 


\  ; 


42 


RED   RIVER— ST.  ANDREW'S   RAPIDS. 


We  proceeded  with  scarcely  any  current,  the  land  very 
low  on  both  sides ;  our  course  was  S.  Passed  a  small  river 
that  comes  in  from  the  W.  [sic  *'].  It  takes  its  water  from 
a  large  marais  at  no  great  distance.  Soon  afterward  we 
passed  Riviere  qui  D^boule  [sic*'],  which  rises  in  Cypress 
hills  ;  near  its  entrance  is  an  island  about  half  a  mile  long, 
the  only  one  in  the  Red  river.  We  proceeded  to  the  foot 
of  the  Sault  ^  la  Biche,"  where '-^  encRr\pet.  All  hands 
were  sooi  busy  with  the  hook  .-nl  uiu; ,  thiy  caught  a 
greaf;  many  lacaishe,  a  small  fish  L^out  >  foot  long,  with 
some  catfish,  pike,  pois  d'once,  ani  ule  a'^hegan.  We 
were  much  tormented  by  mosquitoes  this  evt.i..i.y. 

Aug.  1 8th.  Early  we  embarked  to  ascend  the  rapids, 
which  are  nothing  more  than  a  very  strong  current ;  how- 
ever, as  we  proceeded,  we  found  the  large  stones  and  reefs 
to  increase  in  number,  and  in  some  places  had  difficulty,  as 
the  water  was  low.     At  twelve  o'clock  we  got  safely  to  the 

*'*  Unidentified  ;  I  can  find  no  stream  from  the  W.  anywhere  along  here, 
except  Netley  cr.  If  it  be  supposed  that  "  W."  is  a  mistake  for  E.,  this  ques- 
tionable stream  may  be  taken  for  the  De\  il's  cr.  above  said,  which  otherwise 
Henry  passes  unnoticed. 

**  The  verb  appar.  dibouillir,  to  boil,  and  the  phrase  equivalent  to  Boiling  r. 
If  I  am  right  in  identifying  this  stream  with  modern  Cook's  cr.,  it  falls  in  from 
the  S.,  on  the  right  bank  of  Red  r.  (left-hand  side  ascending),  a  little  above  and 
across  the  river  from  present  village  of  Dynevor. 

**  Elk  or  Red  Deer  rapids,  now  St.  Andrew's  rapids,  to  reach  which  Henry 
has  come  by  West  Selkirk,  East  Selkirk,  and  Lower  Fort  Garry.  The  latter 
was  built  by  order  of  Sir  George  Simpson  in  1831-33,  in  St.  Andrew's,  about 
the  border  of  St.  Clement's,  and  strengthened  with  loopholes  and  bastions  in 
1841.  McDonnell  says,  /.  c.^  p.  268:  "Two  or  three  leagues  above  Riviere 
aux  Morts  is  a  clear  spot  on  which  Mr.  Joseph  Frobisher  is  said  to  have  passed 
a  winter,  and  is  called  '  Fort  k  M.  Frobisher.'  The  first  rapid  we  come  to  is 
the  Sault  k  la  Biche,  about  3  leagues  above  Mr.  Frobisher's  Fort,  and  3  leagues 
long."  This  bears  on  Henry's  statement  that  here  had  been  a  point  where 
Crees  and  Assiniboines  assembled,  but  is  specially  notable  in  fixing  with  some 
precision  the  site  of  Frobisher's  post — perhaps  the  earliest  on  Red  r.,  after  the 
original  F.  establishments,  and  one  of  which  very  little  seems  to  be  known. 
This  Frobisher  is  to  be  distinguished  from  his  brother  Thomas,  and  from  the 
somewhat  later  Benjamin  Frobisher — to  say  nothing  of  the  much  earlier  Sir 
Martin  Frobisher,  discoverer  of  Frobisher's  bay,  who  died  1594.  (The  name 
will  come  up  again,  in  another  connection.) 


THE  FORKS  OF  RED   RIVER. 


43 


head  of  the  rapid,  where  we  put  ashore  to  gum.  The  chain 
of  rocks  which  intercepts  the  channel  appears  to  come  from 
the  N.  W.;  and  having  crossed  the  river,  soon  ends  on  the 
E.  side,  where  the  land  is  low  and  marshy.  At  a  short 
distance  there  is  a  beautiful  plain  on  the  W.,  more  elevated 
than  that  on  the  E.  The  Crees  and  Assiniboines  formerly 
assembled  here  in  large  camps,  to  await  the  arrival  of  the 
traders,  and  here  we  may  say  the  meadow  country  com- 
mences.  1'he  grass  is  long,  but  there  is  no  wood  on  the  W. 
We  saw  several  fresh  tracks  of  moose,  red  deer,  and  bears ; 
also,  some  wolves  and  foxes.  Pelicans  are  very  numerous 
in  this  rapid,  attracted,  as  I  suppose,  by  the  shoals  of 
fish  which  frequent  it.  At  one  o'clock  we  loaded  and  em- 
barked, leaving  this  barrier  of  limestone ;  we  found  the 
current  not  very  strong, .  plenty  oi  water,  and  seldom  a 
stone.  Passed  Frog  pond,**  on  the  W.,  and  soon  afterward 
Rivifere  la  Seine,*'  a  creek  which  receives  its  waters  from 
Cypress  hills,  and  after  a  winding  course  through  a  low 
country,  winch  in  the  spring  is  generally  flooded,  empties 
at  this  place.  The  entrance  is  very  narrow,  though  the 
river  above  is  wider  and  deeper.  In  a  short  time  we  arrived 
at  the  Forks,""  v-here  the  Assiniboine  joins  Red  river,  the 

■"Frog  pond  is  "at  Kildonan  church,"  Bell,  /.  c,  p.  4.  Kildonan  parish 
was  named  by  Selkirk  in  1817  from  his  settlers'  home  in  Sutherlandshire,  Scot- 
land. 

*' Seine  r.  is  present  name  of  the  small  stream  which  falls  in  opp.  Fort 
Garry  (Winnipeg).  It  was  called  German  cr.  after  1817,  from  the  persons  of 
that  nationality  of  the  De  Meuron  regiment,  which  came  to  Winnipeg  under 
Lord  Selkirk. 

**  Winnipeg,  formerly  and  long  Fort  Garry ;  capital  of  Manitoba,  county 
seat  of  Selkirk,  metropolis  of  the  Canadian  Northwest,  incorporated  In  1873  ; 
pop.  25,642,  in  iSqt  ;  lat.  49"  56'  N.,  long.  970  7'  W.,  36  m.  (direct)  S.  of 
Lake  Winnipeg,  58  m.  (direct)  N.  of  Pembina,  6$  m.  by  rail  from  Pembina  ; 
Canadian  Pacific  and  other  railroads  ;  opposite  is  St.  Boniface,  on  the  E. 
side  of  Red  r.  The  confluence  of  the  Assiniboine  with  Red  r.  was  the 
site  of  the  first  establishment  of  the  whites  in  this  region — Fort  Rouge, 
built  by  Verendrye  in  1734,  probably  on  the  N.  side  of  the  Assiniboine. 
It  had  been  abandoned  in  1737,  became  an  "  Ancien  Fort"  on  a  map 
of  1750,  and  is  not  in  Bougainville's  list  of  F.  forts  of  1757.  Under 
the    somewhat  elusive  circumstances   of   this  case,   what   Henry   will  have 


<4 


SITE  OF  CITY  OF  WINNIPEG. 


forme;'  coming  in  from  the  W.,  while  the  latter  keeps  its 
direct  course  from  the  S. 

I  found  about  40  Saulteurs  awaiting  my  arrival ;  they 
were  provided  with  a  plentiful  stock  of  dried  buffalo  meat, 
and  anxious  for  a  dram.  I  accordingly  gave  liquor  in 
return  for  their  provisions  ;  they  fell  to  and  kept  drinking 
all  nif  ht,  during  which  we  were  plagued  by  mosquitoes,  and 


ft  *: 


to  say  of  old  F.  traces  ii  specially  interesting.  Mr.  Bell,  /.  c,  p.  4, 
cites  Henry,  believing  that  he  refers  to  Fort  Rouge,  and  that  what  he  say» 
shows  it  was  on  the  N.  side  of  the  Aisiniboine,  and  not  on  the  S.,  as  generally 
has  bMn  supposed.  Mr.  Bell  believes  that  he  has  determined  the  exact  spot ; 
viz.,  the  Indian  graveyard  Henry  speaks  of:  "even  as  late  as  1870,  when  I 
arrived  at  Fort  Garry,  the  thicket  of  willows  and  brambles  v  hich  stretched 
along  what  is  now  the  east  side  of  Main  street,  dom  near  the  entrance  of 
Graham  St.,  south  to  York  St.,  covered  the  site  of  an  extensive  Indian  grave- 
yard,  and  was  evidently  the  locality  mentioned  by  Henry  as  the  resort  of  the 
watcrsnakes."  The  Forks  was  the  name  of  the  confluence  of  the  two  riven  by 
the  end  of  the  last  century,  and  consequently  the  iori  H.  B.  Co.  built  there, 
about  that  time,  was  so  designated.  This  was  on  tht?  N.  side  of  *he  mouth  of 
the  Assiniboine.  In  the  summer  of  1807  John  McDonald  of  Garth  built  Fort 
Gibraltar  for  the  N.  W.  Co.  at  the  mcuth  of  the  Assiniboine,  near  the  present 
lite  of  the  H.  B.  Co.  mill ;  this  was  seized  by  Colin  Robertson  for  the  II.  B.  Co. 
in  Apr.,  1816,  and  destroyed  by  Governor  Semple  before  June  19th  of  that  yeur. 
Fort  Douglas  was  built  in  181a  by  Miles  McDonnell  on  Red  r.,  a  mile  below 
present  Fort  Garry,  "on  the  N.  side  of  a  coulee  which  entered  the  river,  just 
below  where  Mayor  Logan's  house  now  stands"  (Bell,  1885) ;  it  was  occupied 
by  the  haIf-b«^cJ  forces  under  Cuthbert  Grant  after  the  fight  of  June  19th,  1816. 
The  name  is  that  of  Lord  Selkirk's  family,  and  the  fort  was  occupied  by  the 
first  Selkirk  settlera,  who  cams  from  Hudson's  bay  in  i8ia.  Fort  Garry,  which 
so  long  gave  name  to  the  place,  was  built  in  1835-36  by  Mr.  Christie,  for  the 
H.  B.  Co. ;  it  became  the  nucleus  about  which  the  city  finally  accreted,  and 
has  never  ceased  to  be  an  important  establishment.  But  there  was  an  earlier 
H.  B.  Co.  po»i  of  the  same  or  similar  name,  for  Keating's  Long  speaks  of  Fort 
Gerry,  in  1833  in  charge  of  Donald  McKenzie,  chf.  factor  H.  B.  Co.  (the  same 
who  had  been  one  of  the  overland  Astorians) ;  this  was  coexistent  with  the 
coiionists'  Fort  Douglas ;  there  were  then  also  two  churches,  a  school,  and  a  pop. 
of  600.  The  earliest  H.  B.  Cc.  post  is  said  to  have  been  built  about  1799. 
Yet  other  tradin(;-houses  than  those  herein  mentioned  have  been  built  at  various 
times  on  this  historic  spot,  and  we  shall  learn  of  some  of  them  from  our  author. 
The  Forks  he  har  now  reached  aie  so  evenly  matched  in  size  that  it  was  once 
a  question,  Which  is  the  main  stream,  and  which  the  branch  ?  This  has  been 
answered  by  common  consent  in  favor  of  Red  r.,  the  stream  which  arises  in 
Minnesota,  in  relation  and  to  some  extent  in  actual  connection  with  certain 


DIVISION  OF  THE   BRIGADE  AT  THE  FORKS. 


4S 


prevented  from  sleeping  by  the  howling  the  Indians  and 
their  dogs  kept  up. 

Au£^.  igth.  We  began  early  this  morning  to  unpack,  assort, 
and  divide  the  goods,  one-half  being  intended  for  Portage 
la  Prairie  on  the  Assiniboine,  and  the  remainder  for  Red 
river.  This  employed  us  most  of  the  day,  during  which  we 
also  settled  the  men,  delivered  the  baggages,  and  attended 
to  the  Indians,  who  were  still  drinking.    At  twelve  o'clock, 

MiuiMippian  watera  about  the  heads  of  Crow  Wing  and  Minnesota  riven, 
separates  Minnesota  from  North  Dakota,  enters  Manitoba  at  49"  N. ,  and  keeps 
on  N.  through  the  latter  to  Lake  Winnipeg.  Our  njkme  translates  F.  Riviire 
Rouge,  given  by  1740  or  earlier,  and  that  translates  Miscousipi  of  the  aborigines; 
but  whether  the  implication  be  the  "  red  "  of  the  soil,  or  of  the  water,  or  of  the 
blood  that  had  been  spilled  in  these  parts,  may  long  exercise  our  wits  to  dis- 
cover.  Beltrami  inclines  to  the  view  implied  by  his  term  Riviire  Sanglante, 
Bloody  r.,  iSaj.  The  full  form  of  the  name  is  Red  River  of  the  North,  in 
distinction  from  six  or  seven  great  Red  rivers  in  the  United  States,  besides 
many  little  ones.  Turning  now  to  the  other  fork — the  Assiniboine,  as  it  is  now 
called  in  Canada,  and  as  I  shall  uniformly  render  the  name  in  this  work,  though 
Assinniboin  is  commoner  with  us  :  This  was  the  Red  r.  of  various  writers, 
both  before  and  during  Henry's  time.  Thus  Thompson's  MS.  of  1797-98,  now 
before  me,  repeatedly  speaks  of  Red  r. ,  meaning  the  Assiniboine — though  his 
usual  name  was  Stone  Indian  r.  When  such  double  employ  of  '*  Red  "  was  in 
vogue,  the  present  Red  r.  used  to  be  qualified  as  Lower  Red  r.,  while  the 
Assiniboine  was  called  Upper  Red  r.,  and  such  were  their  respective  official 
designations  in  the  N.  W.  Co.  An  early,  if  not  the  first,  distinctive  name  of 
the  Auiniboine  was  given  in  1738  by  Verendrye,  who  called  it  Riviire  St. 
Charles,  thus  canonizing  his  friend  and  patron,  Charles,  Marquis  de  Beauhar- 
nois,  governor  and  lieutena  <t-general  of  New  France  ;  though,  when  he  was 
on  the  spot  where  Henry  now  is,  Sept.  34th,  1738,  he  called  it  La  Fourche  des 
Assiliboiles,  Fork  of  the  Assiniboines.  Among  uncounted,  if  not  countless, 
forms  of  the  latter  word  may  be  here  noted  a  series  with  initial  O  instead  of  A  ; 
these  are  generally  connected  with  or  traceable  to  Lord  Selkirk,  who  speaks 
of  the  Ossiniboyne  r.  and  District  of  Ossiniboia.  Bell,  /.  c,  p.  5,  cites  a 
curious  verbality  due  to  one  Lieut.  Chappel,  1814,  quoted  as  saying  that  "  the 
infant  colony  [Selkirk's]  is  called  by  his  Lordship  Osna  Boia,  two  Gaelic  words, 
sigtiifying  Ossian's  town,  from  the  resemblance  between  that  and  the  Indian 
name  of  Red  river — Asnaboyne. "  Bell  humorously  remarks  upon  this  that  it 
was  probably  not  an  attempt  to  prove  that  the  Assiniboines  were  originally 
Scotchmen !  (Compare  Osnaburg,  actual  name  of  various  pli^ces,  and  recall 
Assiniboia,  official  designation  of  the  lately  created  district  of  the  Canadian 
Northwest.)  We  shall  learn  much  of  both  the  large  rivers  here  noted  as  we 
follow  Henry. 


(1  i 


•  '  1 


,.^..*«. 


Iff 

i 


L 


46 


SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS  AT  THE   FORKS. 


five  H.  B.  Co.  boats,  from  Albany  factory,  or  rather  Mar* 
tin's  falls,  arrived,  Robert  Goodwin,  master,  assisted  by 
Mr.  Brown ;  they  put  ashore,  and  remained  with  us  until 
four  o'clock,  when  they  proceeded  up  the  Assiniboine. 
Their  boats  carry  about  45  packages,  of  unequal  weights, 
but  averaging  80  pounds  each,  and  are  conducted  by  four 
oarsmen  and  a  steersman.  They  are  neatly  built  and 
painted,  and  sharp  at  both  ends.  Onr  people  found  amuse* 
ment  in  fishing  with  hook  and  line,  and  were  well  recom- 
pensed for  their  trouble,  as  they  took  a  great  many  of 
different  kinds.  Pigeons  were  in  great  numbers ;  the  trees 
were  every  moment  covered  with  them,  and  the  continual 
firing  of  our  people  did  not  appear  to  diminish  their 
numbers. 

In  French  times  there  was  a  trading  establishment  on 
this  spot,  traces  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen  where  the 
chimneys  and  cellars  stood  [Verendrye's  Fort  Rouge]. 
I  am  also  informed  there  was  a  chapel  and  a  missionary 
here  for  several  years ;  but  I  don't  believe  they  ever  made 
much  progress  toward  civilizing  the  natives. 

We  are  troubled  by  swarms  of  water-snakes,  which  even 
come  into  our  tents  at  midday ;  every  morning  some  are 
sure  to  be  found  on  our  beds ;  but  they  are  harmless. 
They  appear  to  lurk  and  breed  in  the  old  graves,  of  which 
there  are  many,  this  spot  having  been  a  place  of  great 
resort  for  the  natives  in  1781-82  ;  and  at  the  time  the  small- 
pox made  such  havoc  many  hundreds  of  men,  women,  and 
children  were  buried  here. 

This  afternoon  a  few  Indians  arrived  on  horseback.  They 
came  from  the  direction  of  Portage  la  Prairie,  and  were  of 
the  tribe  called  Snakes,  who  formerly  inhabited  Lake  of 
the  Woods.  They  once  were  numerous,  but  now  cannot 
muster  more  than  50  men.  They  may  be  said  to  be  of  the 
same  nation  as  the  Crees,  but  have  a  different  dialect, 
somewhat  resembling  the  Saulteur  language.  They  are 
a  mischievous  and  thieving  set  of  scoundrels.  They  now 
inhabit  a  tract  of  land  upon  the   Assiniboine,  about   30 


ARRIVAL  OF  THE  ASSINIBOINE   BRIGADE. 


47 


leagues  W.  from  this  place,  and  some  of  them  are  to  be 
found  almost  all  over  the  country  where  there  are  Saulteurs 
and  Crees. 

I  purchased  a  horse  from  them  for  a  9-gallon  keg  of 
mixed  rum,  and  one  of  my  people  bought  another  for  the 
same  price.  Those  were  the  first  and  only  two  horses  we 
had  on  Red  river;  the  Saulteurs  had  none,  but  always 
used  canoes.  This  afternoon  I  took  a  ride,  equipped  with  a 
miserable  wooden  saddle  and  a  leather  string  for  a  bridle. 
Most  of  the  horses  which  belong  to  these  Indians  have 
very  sore  backs,  which  I  suppose  is  occasioned  by  their 
bad  saddles.  The  poor  brutes  are  in  a  shocking  condition  ; 
some  of  them,  as  soon  as  they  are  unsaddled,  will  bite  and 
tear  the  raw  flesh  until  the  blood  flows,  and  then  kick  and 
roll  for  some  time,  whilst  their  whole  bodies  quiver  and 
they  appear  to  be  in  agony.  Indians  and  Canadians  ride 
horses  in  this  condition  with  the  greatest  composure,  and 
no  care  is  taken  of  them.  After  a  day's  journey  their  fore- 
feet are  tied  together,  and  they  are  sent  to  look  out  for 
themselves;  but  they  seldom  stray  far  from  camp. 

This  evening  the  Assiniboine  brigade  overtook  and 
camped  with  us — Mr.  John  McDonell,**  one  of  the  propri- 

"John  McDonnell'k  Journal,  1793-97,  in  Mtuon,  I.,  1889,  p.  384,  begins 
thui :  "  1793.  October  nth,  Fri.  Arrived  at  the  Fort  of  the  River  fiti  appelU, 
called  bjr  Mr.  Robert  Grant,  when  he  built  it.  Fort  Ekp^rance."  Mr.  Cuthbert 
Grant  was  then  there ;  he  left  on  the  iSth,  at  which  date  we  read,  p.  284  : 
"  Neil  McKay  set  out  to  build  and  winter  at  the  forks  of  the  river,  alongside 
of  Mr.  Peter  Grant,  who  has  made  his  pitch  about  five  leagues  from  here.  .  ■ 
Mr.  C.  Grant  also  set  out  for  his  quarters  of  River  Tremblante,  about  30  leagues 
from  here."  McDonnell  locates  Fort  Esp^rance  "  two  short  days'  march  in 
canoes"  up  the  Qu'Appelle  r.  from  its  mouth,  states  that  it  "has  been  settled 
these  ten  years  past,"  and  inhabited  ever  since,  summer  and  winter  ;  and  that  it 
was  "  chiefly  Mr.  Robert  Grant's  residence  while  he  superintended  the  Red 
River  affair."  He  describes  R.  Trenv  ante  as  being  little  further  above  R. 
k  Coqutlle  than  the  latter  is  above  R.  (^  I'Appelle.  R.  4  Coquill^  is  present 
Shell  r.,  once  Clam  r.,  the  origin  of  whose  name  is  seen  in  the  following 
extract :  "  We  returned  by  the  way  of  Swa'  River,  and  the  Menaukonoskeeg, 
towards  Red  River.  About  the  Menaukonoskeeg  and  Aissugsebee,  or  Clam 
River,  whose  head  waters  interlock,"  etc.,  James'  Tanner's  Narr,,  p.  93. 
These  memoranda  will  be  useful  for  future  reference. 


.til 


if 


--^-»-' 


• 


48 


DEPARTURE  FROM  THE  FORKS. 


etors  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  who  has  nine  canoes  and  three  boats, 
and  proposes  to  winter  at  Riviere  Qu'  Appelle. 

Aug-.  20th.  Early  this  morning  Mr.  McDonell  with  his 
brigade  left  us,  and  I  soon  sent  ofT  my  canoes,  whilst  I 
remained  to  get  the  Indians  off;  they  were  scarcely  sober 
yet,  but  by  noon  the  ground  was  clear  of  them.  The 
Opposition  or  X.  Y.  Co.  brigade  of  nine  canoes  and  one 
boat  soon  arrived,  and  passed  directly  up  the  Assiniboine, 
not  seeing  any  Indians  to  induce  them  to  go  up  Red  river. 

At  twelve  o'clock  I  embarked  and  proceeded  about  six 
miles,'*  when  I  found  my  canoes  camped  with  all  the 
Indians.  The  latter  were  anxiously  awaiting  my  arrival, 
with  the  expectation  of  getting  more  liquor ;  but  I  would 
not  give  out  any,  being  anxious  to  get  on  my  journey. 
Some  of  their  principal  men  assembled  at  my  tent  and 
made  long  speeches  for  the  purpose  of  getting  liquor,  but 
as  I  persisted  in  refusing,  they  returned  to  their  cabins. 
My  men  caught  upward  of  300  lacaishe  and  some  catfish. 
We  were  much  troubled  with  mosquitoes;  it  was  very 
sultry  and  warm,  with  showers  of  rain. 

The  beach  along  this  river  being  black  mud,  the  last  rain 
turned  it  into  a  kind  of  mortar  that  adheres  to  the  foot  like 
tar,  so  that  at  every  step  we  raise  several  pounds  of  it,  and 
everything  that  touches  it  receives  a  share.  The  interpreter 
whom  I  had  sent  on  by  land  was  over  two  hours  in  coming, 
having  found  much  difficulty  in  getting  his  horse  through 
the  woods.  The  S.  side  of  the  Assiniboine,  particularly 
near  the  Forks,  is  a  woody  country,  overgrown  with  poplars 
so  thickly  as  scarcely  to  allow  a  man  to  pass  on  foot ;  this 
extends  some  miles  W.,  when  the  wood  is  intersected  by 
small  meadows.  This  woody  country  continues  S.  up  Red 
river  to  Riviere  la  Sale.  On  the  E.  side  the  land  is  low, 
overgrown  with  poplars  and  willows,  frequently  intersected 
by  marshes,  stagnant  ponds,  and  small  rivulets.     Moose,  red 

deer,  and  bears  are  numerous.     The  banks  are  covered  on 

if 
**  This  would  bring  Henry  to  a  position  in  the  vicinity  of  present  St.  Vital,  a 

small  place  on  the  W.  bank,  in  the  parish  of  the  same  name. 


ROSTER  OF  RED   RIVER  BRIGADE. 


49 


both  sides  with  willows,  which  grow  so  thick  and  close  as 
scarcely  to  admit  going  through ;  adjoining  these  is  com- 
monly a  second  bank  of  no  great  height.  This  is  covered 
with  very  large  wood,  such  as  Hard,  bois  blanc,  elm,  ash, 
and  oak ;  some  of  the  trees  are  of  enormous  size.  In  the 
rear  of  this  are  oaks  alone ;  then  poplars  and  willows,  as 
mentioned  above." 

Aug.  2 1  St.  Early  this  morning,  having  examined  the 
baggages  of  my  people,  I  embarked  my  brigade,  now  re- 
duced to  4  canoes,  with  26  packages  apiece.  On  board 
are  the  following  men  and  families : 

RETURN  OF  RED   RIVER  BRIGADE,    l800-0I.** 

First  Canoe. — i.  Alexander  Henry:  Bourgeois,  in  charge 
of  the  brigade.  2.  Jacques  Barb^ :  Voyageur,  conductor  or 
bowman   (ducent).     3.  fitienne  Charbonneau:    Voyageur, 

"  As  regards  these  trees  :  Liard  of  the  F.  is  any  one  of  the  large  species  of 
Populus  or  poplars  which  in  the  West  we  commonly  call  cottonwood,  as  P. 
balsamifera,  P.  monilifera,  and  the  like  ;  Henry  probably  here  means  the 
former  of  these  two.  Bois  blanc  is  the  whitewood,  basswood,  or  linden,  Tilia 
americana.  The  elm  is  Ulmus  americana.  The  commonest  large  oak  of  the 
Red  r.  is  Quercus  tnac-ocarpa.  What  Henry  calls  "  poplar,"  in  distinction 
from  liard,  is  a  species  of  the  same  genus,  Populus  tremuloidts,  the  common 
aspen  of  this  country,  usually  called  by  us  in  the  West  quaking-ash  or  quaking- 
asp,  from  the  shivering  of  its  leaves  in  the  breeze,  and  for  the  same  reason 
known  to  the  F.  as  tremblier.  The  commonest  willow  along  Red  r.  is  Salix 
rostrata.  The  ash  of  the  text  I  have  not  identified — it  is  not  necessarily /Vaxt- 
nus  americana  in  this  case. 

••  This  return  can  be  checked  by  the  list  of  names  given  beyond,  p.  77,  when 
the  brigade  is  separated  in  two  at  Reed  r.,  Sept.  3d.  The  total  of  the  two  lists 
differs ;  but  the  total  of  the  men  is  the  same — 31.  Some  irreconcilable  dis- 
crepancies in  reckoning  the  women  and  children  will  be  observed  ;  but  marriage, 
desertion,  birth,  death,  and  copyist's  mistakes  are  enough  to  account  for  any 
such.  The  two  lists  of  ai  men  are  identifiable  in  every  case  but  that  of  No.  17 
above.  This  stands  as  "  Fran9ois  Seni "  in  my  copy;  while  in  the  list  of  Sept. 
3d  no  such  name  appears,  but  "  Roger  "  occurs  instead.  As  we  know  there  was 
no  change  meanwhile  in  the  men  of  the  brigade,  these  two  must  be  names  of  the 
same  person,  who  can  be  given  conjecturally  as  above.  Several  variants  of 
rames  will  be  observed  ;  these  are  deduced  from  the  two  lists,  and  from  other 
passages  in  Henry,  but  there  is  no  question  of  identity  in  any  cftse.  I  shall 
hereafter,  in  each  instance  of  such  variants  in  my  copy,  cause  it  to  conform  to 


I 


50 


ROSTER  OF  RED  RIVER  BRIGADE. 


stserer,  or  helmsman  (guide).  4.  Joseph  Dubois:  Voy- 
ageur,  steerer,  or  helmsman.  5.  Angus  McDonald :  Voy- 
ageur,  midman.  6.  Antoine  Laf ranee :  Voyageur,  midman. 
7.  Pierre  Bonza  or  Bonga :  a  negro. 

Second  Canoe. — 8.  Michel  (Coloret)  Langlois:  Clerk  (com- 
mis);  with  his  wife  and  daughter.  9.  Andr6  Lagass6, 
Lagace,  or  La  Gassers :  Voyageur,  conductor;  with  his 
wife.      10.  Joachim  Daisville,  or  Donville,  once  Rainville: 

the  first  spelling  of  the  name  as  above  given.  For  the  rest,  I  have  simply 
dressed  Henry's  copy  a  little  for  typographical  appearances,  as  it  was  in  singu- 
larly bad  shape  to  print.  I  believe  it  to  be  as  near  right  as  it  can  be  made. 
The  probable  error  in  this  cs^e  is  surprisingly  slight — it  is  nothing  in  compari- 
son with  what  we  shall  have  to  reckon  with  further  on.  Some  additional  items 
of  information  concerning  these  men  may  be  conveniently  presented,  and  I  will 
take  occasion  to  bring  together  here  various  memoranda  I  have  made  concerning 
other  persons  of  the  same  surnames. 

No.  3.  £tiennc  Charbonneau  continued  as  voyageur  N.  \V.  Co.  after  1804, 
Lake  Winnipeg. — Louis  Charbonneau  appears,  same  as  6tienne.  One  of  these 
was  with  Henry,  1807-08. — Toussaint  Charbonneau  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  wintered 
at  Pine  fort  on  the  Assiniboine,  1793-94.  This  is  the  individual  whom  Lewis 
and  Clark  engaged  at  the  Mandans,  winter  of  1804-05,  and  who  figures  under 
so  many  aliases  in  the  History  of  their  Expedition. 

No.  4,  There  appear  to  have  been  two  of  this  name  in  the  N.  W.  Co. — 
Joseph  Dubois  is  listed  as  voyageur,  Upper  Red  r.,  and  the  same  as  voyageur, 
Fort  des  Prairies,  after  the  fusion  of  1804. — Jean  Baptiste  Dubois  came  to  Sault 
Ste,  Marie  in  1803,  and  appears  as  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Fort  des  Prairies,  1804. 
— Fran9ois  Dubois,  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  1804,  Rat  River  country;  wintered, 
1804-05,  at  the  house  on  or  near  Cranberry  1.,  under  Joseph  Cartier. — Antoine 
Dubois,  Canadian,  had  been  killed  by  Indians  before  1807,  when  his  daughter 
Marguerite,  aged  14,  married  Jean  Joseph  Roulette  3d,  at  Prairie  du  Chien. 

No.  5.  Angus  McDonald  continued  with  Henry  for  some  years,  as  we  shall 
find.  His  humble  station,  if  not  his  name,  distinguishes  him  from  the  many 
McDonalds  who  are  preferably  noticed  elsewhere. 

No.  6.  No  further  information  of  Antoine  Lafrance. — One  Lafrance  retired 
with  12,000  francs  in  1791. — One  Lafrance  was  killed  in  the  summer  of  1799. — 
Jean  Baptiste  I^af ranee,  N.  W.  Co.,  left  Fort  Esperance  for  the  Mandans,  Dec. 
loth,  1793.  The  same  appears  as  interpreter  N.  W.  Co.,  Upper  Red  River 
dept.,  Sept.,  1804,  and  as  clerk  at  the  Mandans  under  F.  A.  Larocque,  1804; 
name  misprinted  Lachance  in  Masson,  I.  p.  81.  The  same,  of  H.  B.  Co.,  left 
the  Assiniboine,  at  mouth  of  the  Souris,  May,  1806,  to  trade  with  the  Mandans, 
and  was  that  year  found  among  them  by  Lewis  and  Clark,  Henry,  and  others. 

No.  7.     Pierre  Bonza  appears  as  interpreter  N.  W.  Co.,  Lower  Red  r.,  1804. 

No.  8.     Michel   Langlois  appears  oftener  as  Michel  Coloret,  Coleret,  or 


RC/STER  OF  RED   RIVER  BRIGADE. 


51 


Voyageur,  steerer.  11.  Andr6  Beauchemin:  Voyageur, 
midman.     12.  Jean  Baptiste  Benoit :  Voyageur,  midman. 

Third  Canoe.  — \ I.  Jean  Baptiste  Desmarais:  Interpreter; 
with  his  wife  and  two  children.  14.  Jean  Baptiste  Larocque, 
Sen.:  Voyageur,  conductor.  15.  Jean  Baptiste  Larocque, 
Jun. :  Voyageur,  steerer.  16.  fitienne  Roy  Voyageur, 
midman.     17.  Frangois  Roger,  Sen.  (?)  :  Voyageur,  midman. 

Fourth  Canoe. — 18.  Joseph  Masson,  or  Maceon :  Voy- 
ageur, conductor.  19.  Charles  Bellegarde :  Voyageur, 
steerer.     20.  Joseph  Hamel :  Voyageur,  midman.    21.  Nic- 

Collerette  ;  but  Henry,  who  will  have  much  to  say  of  him,  calls  him  Langlois, 
except  in  one  place.  The  term  appears  to  be  an  epithet  rather  than  a  personal 
name,  as  if  L' Anglais,  the  Englishman. — Eustache  Langlois  was  a  voyageur 
N.  W.  Co.,  1804,  Rainy  Lake, 

No.  9.  No  question  of  identity  in  this  case. — There  is  at  least  one  other  of 
same  surname,  Charles  L^asse,  or  Lagace,  who  was  with  Thompson  on  the 
Upp«ir  Saskatchewan  in  April,  1800 ;  went  with  him  to  the  Kootenays,  Oct. 
5th-23d,  1800  ;  was  fitted  out  to  winter  with  them,  i8oo-oi  ;  was  with  Thomp- 
son in  tie  Rocky  rats.,  1808-10;  deserted  May  17th,  1810,  on  Thompson's 
attempting  to  force  him  to  duty  for  which  he  said  he  was  not  fit ;  reappears 
with  Thompson  at  Ilthkoyape  (Kettle)  falls,  on  the  Columbia,  June  22d,  1811, 
and  went  S.  Aug.  29th,  1811. 

No.  10.  "  Daisville,"  or  "  Donville,"  is  found  in  no  other  connection,  and 
I  suspect  error,  though  the  unusual  first  name,  Joachim,  would  seem  to  preserve 
identity.  The  connection  of  "  Rainville"  :ith  this  case  is  likewise  dubious. — 
Joseph  Rainville,  with  Henry,  at  Pembina,  in  July,  1804,  accidentally  killed  V. 
St.  Germain. — Various  persons,  of  more  than  one  generation,  were  named  Rain- 
ville, Reinvile,  or  Renville :  'or  example,  see  Pike,  ed.  1895,  pp.  39,  40,  87,  99, 
l8o,  207,  24'i;  see  also  biogr.  of  one  Joseph  Rainville  in  Tasse,  L  pp.  293-304, 

No.  II.  Andie  Beauchemin  was  still  with  Henry,  1807-08. — Jean  Baptiste 
Beauchemin,  vcyageur  N.  W,  Co.,  Fort  Chipewyan,  1799-1800,  is  called 
"  cet  homme  sans  souci;"  found  at  forks  of  Peace  r.,  summer  1803;  listed  Eng 
lish  r.  after  fusion  of  1804. 

No.  12.     No  fhrther  record. 

No.  13.  Identity  complete,  and  much  said  of  him  beyond;  record  goes  from 
1799  to  »<J23,  when  he  guided  Long's  party  from  Winnipeg  to  Lake  Superior 
by  the  Kaministiquia  route,  Keating,  IL  p.  67,  and  is  spoken  very  highly  of, 
p.  78.  There  were  several  others  of  this  surname,  which  varies  to  Demarais. 
— One  Desmarais  was  with  Peter  Grant  at  Lac  la  Rouge,  1789,  very  likely  Jein 
Baptiste. — Fran9ois  Desmarais  is  listed  as  interprete.  N.  W.  Co.,  Upper  Red  r., 
1804. — Ignace  Desmarais,  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Nepigon,  1804. — Louis 
Desmarais,  voyageur  N,  W.  Co.,  Rainy  1.,  1804;  Red  r.,  with  Henry,  / 807-08. 

No.  14  and  No.  15.     Many  persons,  several  generations,  of  this  notable  sur- 


ii 


\% 


53 


ROSTER  OF   RED   RIVER  BRIGADE. 


olas  Pouliot,  Pouliotte,  Poultiatte,  or  Rubiette :  Voyageur, 
midman. 

RECAPITULATION. 


Bourgeois  (Henry),       .        .        .        . 
Clerk  (Langlois),        .... 
Interpreter  (Desmarais), 
Negro  (Bonza),  .... 

\  oyageurs  (names  as  above), 
Women  (one  woman  not  given  above), 
Children  (one  child  not  given  above), 

Persons, 

Horses,  ...... 


I 
I 
I 

I 

17 
4 
4 

29 

a 


name,  which  varies  to  Laroche,  Laroque,  Le  Rock,  etc.  (and  without  the  definite 
article). — Auguste  Laroche,  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Red  Lake  dept.,  1804. 
— Antoine  Larocque,  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Lower  Red  r.,  1804  ;  at  Pembina, 
under  Henry,  1807-08. — Charles  Larocque,  of  N.  W.  Co.,  at  Pembina,  with 
Henry,  1807-08. — Francois  Antoine  Larocque,  clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  Upper  Red  r., 
1804 ;  led  the  Mandah  expedition  oi'  that  year,  etc.  His  full  record  will  be 
noted  beyond,  when  Henry  is  at  the  Mandans. — ^Jacques  Larocque,  voyageur 
N.  W.  Co.,  Red  Lake  dept.,  1804. — The  two  named  Jean  Baptiste  Larocque, 
father  and  son,  are  not  usually  discriminated  ;  we  have  records  of  one  or  both, 
1800-08,  Red  r.,  English  r.,  Saskatchewan  r.,  etc. — Joseph  Larocque,  younger 
brother  of  Fran;.  Ant.  Larocque,  v-as  clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  English  r.,  1804 ;  later 
an  Astorian  (full  record  beyond,  when  Henry  is  on  the  Columbia). — Pierre 
Larocque,  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Fort  Dauphin,  Lake  Winnipeg,  etc.,  1804. — 
For  one  A.  Rocque,  or  Roque,  without  the  definite  article,  in  Minnesota, 
1805-06,  see  Pike,  ed.  1895,  pp.  36,  41,  61. — ^Joseph  Rocque  was  interpreter 
among  the  Sioux  in  Minnesota  about  1786. — Pascal  Rocque  is  listed  as  voy- 
ageur N.  VV.  Co.,  Le  Pic,  1804. 

No.  16.     (For  many,  persons  named  Roy,  see  a  note  beyond.) 

No.  17.     Name  wholly  in  question. 

No.  18.  Recorded  on  to  TR04.  The  surname  is  the  same  as  that  of  Senator 
L.  R.  Masson,  whose  Bourgeois,  etc.,  is  one  of  the  most  notable  and  valuable 
contributions  ever  made  to  the  history  of  the  subject  now  occupying  us. 

No.  19.  No  furf.her  record  of  Charles. — Another  Bellegarde,  first  name 
unknown,  of  X.  V.  Co.,  was  near  Fort  Chipewyan,  May  asd,  1800. 

No.  20.  Of  Joseph  Hamel,  record  to  1804,  Lower  Red  r. — At  this  time 
Fran9ois  Hamel,  ^  jy-vgeur  N.  W.  Co.,  also  there. 

No.  2t.  Reci.id  im'  I»'m  *-  :8o4.  "Rubiette"  is  a  mere  clerical  blunder, 
and  the  name  has  now  siHMjd  in'o  Pouliot,  borne  by  several  well-known 
Canadian  families. 


l! 


(0 


LIST  OF  THE  INDIANS. 


93 


Having  sent  off  the  canoes,  I  endeavored  to  get  the 
Indians  away  also ;  but  the  fellows  were  in  no  hurry  to 
decamp,  as  generally  is  the  case  with  Indians  when  they 
suspect  that  you  do  not  wish  to  proceed  without  them. 
I  was  apprehensive  lest  some  of  them  might  return  to  the 
Forks.  It  was  ten  o'clock  before  I  got  them  all  off.  Their 
brigade  consisted  of  45  canoes.  Names  of  the  Indians  were 
as  follows :  *' 


NATIVE  NAME. 

FRENCH  NAME. 

ENGLISH  NAME. 

I. 

I. 

Vieux  Folle  Avoine. 

I. 

Old  Wild  Rice. 

3. 

Tabashaw  (chief). 

2. 

3. 

3- 

3. 

Le  Pendu. 

3. 

Hanged. 

4< 

4. 

La  Berdash  (Sucre's 
son). 

4. 

Berdash. 

5. 

Madge^once. 

5. 

5' 

6. 

Ocanashkit. 

6. 

6. 

7. 

Sesai. 

7. 

* 

7- 

8. 

8. 

Vieux  Collier, 

8. 

Old  Necklace. 

9- 

• 

9. 

Petite  Coquille. 

9- 

Little  Shell. 

10. 

10. 

Poule  d'Eau. 

10. 

Water  Hen. 

II. 

Pegouisse. 

II. 

II. 

la. 

13. 

Bras  Forts  (or  Gros). 

13. 

Strong  (or  Thick) 
Arms. 

13. 

13- 

Perdrix  Blanche. 

13. 

White  Partridge. 

14. 

Aceguemanche. 

14. 

Petit  Chef. 

»4. 

Little  Chief. 

15- 

15. 

Robe  Noire. 

15. 

Bir.ck  Robe. 

16. 

Kaygecaon. 

16. 

16. 

17. 

17. 

Petite  Grue. 

17. 

Little  Crane. 

*^  The  list  as  it  stands  in  copy  is  curiously  trilingual ;  some  names  Ojibway, 
some  French,  some  English,  and  others  still  a  compound  of  French  and  Eng- 
lish. I  print  the  Indian  names  precisely  as  they  stand,  but  translate  the  French 
and  English  into  their  equivalents,  reciprocally,  and  correct  the  French  forms. 
I  will  also  hereafter  hold  Henry  to  the  forms  of  the  names  which  appear  here, 
however  variously  they  recur  in  the  copy.  The  following  remarks  throw  some 
little  further  light  on  the  list :  No.  t  stands  in  copy  as  Old  Fallewine. 
No.  3  murdered  his  relative  Missistaygouine,  Feb.  15th,  1803  ;  killed  by  Sioux 
late  in  1807.  No.  4.  A  berdash  is  any  young  man  who  affects  the  ways  of  a 
woman,  and  suffers  himself  to  be  used  as  such  (see  Catlin's  pi.  296,  4th  ed., 
1844,  II-  p.  314).  It  is  curious  to  find  the  name  in  the  list  with  the  feminine 
article.  Tanrer,  p.  105,  speaks  of  this  very  person  :  "  Some  time  in  the  course 
of  this  winter,  there  came  to  our  lodge  ore  of  the  sons  of  the  celebrated  Ojib- 
beway  chief,  called  Wesh-ko-bug  [or  Wiscoup],  (the  sweet  [or  Le  Sucre]),  who 
lived  at  Leech   Lake.     This   man  was  one  of  those  who  make  themselves 


f'i 


54 


LIST  OF  THE  INDIANS. 


11' 


r 


NATIVE  NAME. 

FRENCH  NAME. 

ENGLISH   NAME. 

i8. 

Gausacegiushe. 

18. 

18. 

19. 

19. 

Mauvaise  Hache. 

19. 

Bad  Ax. 

30. 

30. 

Liard. 

30. 

Cottonwood. 

31. 

31. 

Le  Borgne. 

31. 

The  Blind. 

32. 

33. 

Taon. 

33. 

Gadfly. 

23. 

Naubeenvishcung. 

33. 

23. 

34. 

Aishquebugicoge. 

24. 

Gueule  Platte. 

34. 

Flat  Mouth. 

35- 

as. 

Bceuf. 

85. 

Buffalo. 

36. 

Wayquetoe. 

36. 

36. 

27. 

87. 

Grande  Gueule. 

37. 

Big  Mouth. 

38. 

38. 

Terre  Grosse  (or 
Grasse). 

38. 

Thick  (or  Fat)  Earth. 

39. 

39. 

Bras  Courts. 

39. 

Short  Arms. 

30. 

30. 

Capot  Rouge. 

30. 

Red  Hood. 

3«. 

Ondainoiache. 

31. 

31. 

38. 

Miseaebitte. 

32. 

32. 

33. 

33- 

Jambes  Croches. 

33. 

Crooked  Legs. 

34. 

34. 

Petit  Caribou. 

34- 

Little  Reindeer. 

Two  bands  of  0-ge-bois  [Ojibways]  or  Saulteurs,  inhabitants  of  the  head, 
waters  of  the  Mississippi,  Leech  Lake,  etc.,  have  left  their  lands  since  the 
years  1789-90. 


35.  Quiniss. 

35. 

35. 

36.  Nanaundeyea. 

36. 

36. 

37. 

37.  Grosse  Lo,;e. 

37.  Big  Lodge. 

33. 

38.  Corbeau. 

38.  Raven  (or  Crow) 

39.  P'ckoutiss. 

39. 

39. 

40.  Maymiutch. 

40. 

40. 

41. 

41.  Charlo  (brother  of 
Corbeau). 

41.  Charlo. 

Red  SucK•^r  of  Beaven 

>,  inhabitants  of  Rev    ake 

,  which  they  abandon 

1790. 

women,  and  are  called  women  by  the  Indians.  There  are  several  of  this  sort 
among  most,  if  not  all  the  Indian  tribe^  ;  they  are  commonly  called  A-go-kwa, 
a  wor(i  which  is  expressive  of  their  condition.  This  creature,  called  Ozaw- 
wen-d  b  (the  yellow  head,)  was  now  near  fifty  years  old,  and  had  lived  with 
many  husbands."  Tanner  goes  on  to  speak  of  "  her,"  and  relates  his 
troubles  in  escaping  from  the  "  disgusting  advances  "  which  he,  she,  or  it  made. 
No.  6  is  elsewhere  Oucn.naskit ;  died  summer  of  1802.  No.  12  killed  an 
Indian,  Aupersoi,  in  Pembina  mts.,  Mar.  13th,  1802,  and  was  himself  killed 
by  Aupersoi's  young  brother  the  same  day ;  whereupon  No.  9  and  No.  31 
killed  Aupersoi's  mother.  No.  12's  son  died  Feb.  27th,  1803.  No.  14  is  else- 
where Aceguimance,  Auguimance,  Auguemancc,  Acquimance.  No.  17  died 
Feb.  27th,  if  03.  No.  2o's  daughter  became  Henry's  wife,  Jan.  1st,  1801, 
No.  32  is  also  found  as  Toan  and  Taonsone  ;  died  summer  of  1802.     No.  23  is 


STINKING   RIVER. 


ss 


arth. 


head, 
e  the 


led  in 


is  sort 
>-kwa, 
Ozaw- 
with 
s    his 
made, 
ed  an 
killed 
lo.  31 
s  else- 
died 
1801. 
23  is 


I  now  embarked  and  pushed  on  after  my  canoes.  The 
Indians  advised  me  to  be  on  my  guard  against  the  Sioux, 
who  they  said  we  had  every  reason  to  suppose  would  fall 
upon  us  before  many  days,  as  they  had  been  at  war  during 
the  past  summer  on  the  upper  part  of  this  river,  and  had 
found  the  vestiges  of  a  Sioux  camp.  They  were  certainly 
in  a  state  of  great  alarm  when  we  arrived  at  the  Forks,  and 
had  even  made  a  sort  of  intrenchment  by  digging  deep 
holes  in  the  ground  several  yards  long  for  the  security  of 
their  women  and  children,  and  for  their  own  defense  in  case 
of  attack.  We  soon  overtook  my  canoes,  which  seemed  in 
no  hurry  to  push  on  alone,  having  been  warned  of  danger 
by  Indians. 

The  current  is  not  very  strong.  The  course  of  the  river 
is  very  winding,  with  dejp  water  and  not  a  stone  to  be  seen. 
At  two  o'clock  my  canoe  ran  on  a  stump,  and  broke  a  hole  in 
her.  We  put  ashore  and  repaired.  Meanwhile  the  Indians 
passed  on ;  at  three  o'clock  we  followed,  and  found  them  all 
camped  at  the  entrance  of  Riviere  la  Sale."     This  small 

also  found  as  Naubunaijam  ;  killed  by  Sioux  early  in  1806.  No.  24  is  the  name 
of  one  of  the  most  celebrated  Ojibway  chiefs  who  ever  lived  (see  Pike,  ed. 
1895,  p.  log).  No.  26  is  also  Waiquetoe.  No.  31  is  also  Ondoinoiache  and 
Ondoiworache ;  killed  by  Sioux,  Nov.,  1803.  No.  35  is  probably  also  Cau- 
toquoince.  No.  36  is  also  spelled  Nanaudaya,  Nanauduge,  Manaundea. 
No.  38  was  brother  of  Charlo.  No.  39  is  also  i^icoutiss.  No.  40  is  else- 
where Maimiutch,  Maiminch,  Maimunch,  etc.     No.  41  died  Jan.  15th,  1801. 

'*  Henry's  R.  la  Sale  or  Sale  r.  is  still  known  by  the  same  or  a  similar  name, 
but  oftener  now  called  .Stinking  r.,as  it  has  been  at  times  for  at  least  75  years. 
The  F.  word  is  sale,  foul,  filthy — not  sal/,  salty  ;  nor  saule,  willow ;  nor  sable, 
sand  ;  nor  salk,  hall ;  nor  yet  La  Salle,  a  person's  name — though  I  have  found 
all  these  forms.  Thompson,  1798,  calls  it  Salt  or  Bad  Water  r.  Another  render- 
ing is  Wenagomo  or  Muddy  r.,  in  Keating's  Long,  II.  1824,  p.  80.  The  stream 
heads  not  far  from  the  .\ssiniboine,  in  the  ':ountry  S.  of  Portage  la  Prairie, 
runs  on  an  average  course  about  E.  S.  E.  into  Tp.  8,  R.  i,  E.  of  the  princ. 
merid.,  a  few  miles  below  Blythfield,  and  there  turns  N.  N.  E.  to  meander  into 
the  Red  r.  at  St.  Norbert,  about  10  m.  S.  of  Winnipeg.  It  is  crossed  by 
the  Pembina  branch  of  the  C.  P.  Ry.  at  or  near  La  Salle,  and  higher  up,  at 
or  near  Starbuck,  by  the  S.  W.  branch  of  the  same,  while  the  N.  P.  and  Mani- 
toba R .  K .  runs  by  some  of  its  upper  reaches  to  Portage  la  Prairie.  The  region 
drained  by  this  stream  lies  entirely  between  Scratching  r.  on  the  S.  and  the 
Assiniboine  un  the  N. 


56 


DRINKING  UNDER  DIFFICULTY. 


river  comes  in  from  the  W.,  taking  its  water  nearly  opposite 
Portage  la  Prairie,  in  a  long  marsh,  not  above  a  mile  from 
the  Assinboine.  Its  first  course  is  S.  for  several  miles,  when 
it  takes  a  sudden  bend  and  runs  E.  until  it  empties  into  Red 
river,  forming  the  N.  boundary  of  the  great  meadows  of 
this  river.  The  country  which  lies  between  the  Sale  and 
Assiniboine  is  low  and  forms  in  many  places  marshy 
meadows,  thickly  intersected  with  poplars  and  willows, 
which  never  grc  to  any  height.  Moose  and  red  deer  are 
very  numerous  at  all  seasons,  and  in  the  winter  buffaloes 
resort  here,  for  shelter  from  storms  and  cold.  We  went 
about  half  a  mile  and  put  ashore  for  the  night.  Having 
promised  the  Indians,  on  leaving  the  Forks,  that  they 
should  have  a  drink  here,  they  soon  assembled ;  one  of  them 
brought  me  part  of  a  red  deer,  and  tHe  others  some  wild 
fowl.  Everything  being  ready,  I  gave  Tabashaw,  Maymi- 
uti !'.,  and  Vieux  Collier  each  some  clothing  and  other 
articles,  as  follows :  A  scarlet  laced  coat ;  a  laced  hat ;  a  red 
round  feather ;  a  white  linen  shirt ;  a  pair  of  leggings ;  a 
breech  clout ;  a  flag  ;  one  fathom  of  tobacco,  and  a  9-gallon 
keg  of  rum.  Among  the  others  I  divided  three  kegs  of 
mixed  liquor  (nine  quarts  of  high  wine  per  keg),  and  four 
fathoms  of  tobacco.  I  tl;en,  in  a  long  speech,  encouraged 
them  to  behave  well,  and  not  to  be  afraid  of  the  Sioux, 
but  to  follow  me  up  to  Turtle  river,  where  I  proposed  to 
winter,  and  also  told  them  that  beavers  were  plenty  in  those 
quarters,  so  that  they  could  procure  all  their  necessaries 
with  ease.  Just  as  I  was  giving  out  the  farewell  glass,  for 
them  to  return  to  their  tents  to  enjoy  the  liquor,  some  of 
their  women  came  running  into  camp,  bawling  out  that 
they  had  heard  several  shots  fired  in  the  meadow.  A 
council  was  instantly  held.  I  ordered  the  Indians  to  leave 
their  liquor  with  me,  and  put  off  drinking  till  to-morrow; 
but  they  had  tasted  it,  and  must  drink,  at  the  risk  of  their 
lives.  They  requested  me  to  order  my  men  to  mount 
guard  during  the  night,  as  the  women  appeared  so  very 
positive  that  they    had    heard    shots,   and    we   were   con- 


THE  VOYAGE  RESUMED. 


S7 


vinced  there  were  no  Saulteurs  about  us.  I  did  not 
know  what  to  think  of  it ;  however,  the  Indians  went  away 
and  began  to  drink,  whilst  my  people  amused  themselves 
fishing.  About  sunset  three  horsemen  appeared  on  the  W. 
side  of  the  river ;  this  gave  an  alarm,  and  everyone  flew  to 
arms,  when  the  horsemen,  observing  our  bustle  and  conster- 
nation, called  out  to  us  in  Saulteur  to  ferry  them  over. 
This  we  did  with  pleasure.  They  proved  to  be  three 
men  of  Red  Sucker's  band,  who,  having  got  wind  of  my 
arrival  to  winter  up  this  river,  had  come  to  join  us  with 
their  families  from  Grand  Passage  on  the  Assiniboine. 
They  brought  me  the  flesh  of  a  cow  which  they  had  killed 
not  far  off,  on  the  S.  side  of  Riviere  la  Sale.  They  had  seen 
several  herds.  I  went  over  the  river  for  a  walk  on  the 
plains,  but  soon  returned,  as  I  found  the  walking  too  bad 
in  the  long  grass,  stunted  poplars,  willows,  and  rosebushes. 
No  large  wood  was  to  be  seen,  excepting  along  the  river. 
My  men  caught  upward  of  200  lacaishe  and  about  30  cat- 
fish. The  Indians  did  not  once  trouble  me  during  the 
night. 

Aug.zzd.  Indians  still  drinking.  One  of  them  brought 
me  a  large  beaver.  Many  sturgeons  were  jumping  night 
and  day.  The  Indians  plagued  me  much  for  goods  on 
credit,  but  I  did  not  think  proper  to  give  them  any. 

At  ten  o'clock  we  embarked,  intending  to  go  a  few  miles 
only  and  then  wait  for  the  Imiians.  We  found  a  few 
stones;  through  carelessness  a  foreman  ran  his  canoe  upon 
one  and  broke  her  very  much,  but  the  others  being  near  at 
hand  ue  kept  the  property  from  getting  wet.  This  affair 
took  some  time,  and  the  accident  having  happened  at  a  very 
ugly  spot,  where  we  had  mud  up  to  the  middle,  it  was  noon 
before  we  embarked.  We  came  to  a  place  we  found  very 
shallow  for  about  a  mile,  the  bottom  a  stiff  black  clay,  the 
current  almost  a  rapid.  Having  passed  this,  we  entered 
deep  water  again.  The  river  continues  very  crooked,  and  I 
am  told  the  water  is  lower  than  has  ever  been  known  before ; 
stil!  there  is  enough  for  a  Montreal  canoe  laden  with  70 


f 


58 


DIFFERENT  FRUITS— FRUITLESS  OFFERINGS. 


pieces.  There  are  some  few  places  that  appear  too  shallow, 
but  there  is  always  a  channel  to  be  found  amongst  the 
lumps  of  clay,  and  stones  are  rare.  Those  passages  in  some 
places  are  very  narrow  and  crooked,  but  deep. 

Having  come  three  leagues,'*  we  put  ashore  to  wait  for  the 
Indians.  We  crossed  our  horses  over  to  the  W.  side,  the 
country  being  more  favorable  for  them  than  upon  the  £., 
which  continues  to  be  thick  woods.  After  the  rain  the  men 
began  fishing  as  usual,  while  others  went  in  search  of  fruit, 
of  which  they  found  great  plenty,  such  as  red  plums,  pan- 
binas,**  and  grapes.  The  plums  are  just  now  ripe  and  very 
good ;  they  appear  to  be  of  three  different  sorts — large 
yellow  speckled,  large  red,  and  small  red.  There  are  also 
two  other  kinds — small  gray  speckled  and  small  yellow 
speckled.  The  panbina  is  fine  and  large,  of  a  beautiful  red, 
but  requires  the  frost  to  ripen  it.  The  same  is  the  case 
with  the  grapes,  which  are  of  a  small  sort,  when  ripe  per- 
fectly blue ;  the  vines  are  bending  to  the  ground  with  them. 
The  Indians  brought  me  a  horse  which  I  purchased  for 
liquor.  About  sunset  they  all  arrived  and  camped  with  us. 
Old  Buffalo,  still  half  drunk,  brought  me  his  eldest  daughter, 
about  nine  years  of  age,  and  insisted  upon  my  taking  her  for 
a  wife,  in  hopes  I  would  give  him  a  keg  of  liquor ;  but  I 
declined  the  offer.  I  gave  him  and  each  of  his  brethren  a 
dram,  and  sent  them  to  their  cabins.  I  was  plagued  by 
several  others.  Charlo  brought  me  his  daughter,  about  12 
years  old,  for  a  wife,  but  I  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
any  of  them,  and  a  dram  apiece  was  all  they  could  get. 

Aug.  2jd.  The  Indians  paid  me  a  very  early  visit  to 
demand  dry  goods  on  credit,  in  expectation  of  getting 
liquor.  This  is  customary  on  their  taking  debts ;  we  gen- 
erally give  them  some  liquor  to  encourage  Ihem  to  hunt 


**  The  strong  water  which  Henry  has  passed  is  that  now  known  as  Crooked 
rapids.  He  has  probably  passed  Cartier,  and  camps  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place 
called  Royal,  5  or  6  m.  (direct)  below  the  mouth  of  Rat  r. 

*"  Berries  of  Viburnum  oxycoccus.  The  word  yields  several  geographical 
■ames,  to  be  discussed  beyond  (at  Pembina). 


^ 


TABASHAW   MAKES  HIS   MEANING  CLEAR. 


59 


and  pay  us.  But  we  were  still  too  near  the  Forks  for  me 
to  listen  to  them,  as  1  was  well  persuaded  several  would 
have  returned  and  cheated  me ;  but  to  encourage  them  to 
behave  well  I  gave  them  a  little  powder,  shot,  balls,  and 
tobacco.  I  then  wished  them  to  embark,  but  to  no  pur- 
pose ;  they  told  mc  that  some  of  their  old  women  had  some 
liquor  left  over  from  yesterday,  and  the/  would  go  and 
drink  it ;  as  for  me,  they  did  not  care  whether  I  stayed 
with  them  or  not.  This  was  vexatious;  but  they  were 
independent  of  us,  and  vigorous  measures  could  have  availed 
nothing.  I  therefore  put  the  best  face  I  could  upon  the 
matter,  and  they  retired  in  sullen  silence.  My  men  as  usual 
betook  themselves  to  fishing,  and  in  a  short  time  caught 
upwards  of  300  lacaishe.  About  twelve  o'clock  Tabashaw 
came  to  my  tent,  with  some  others ;  they  were  all  intoxi- 
cated ;  h"  said  his  errand  was  liquor,  and  liquor  he  must 
have,  otherwise  "  the  children  would  cry."  I  comprehended 
his  meaning,  and  desired  my  men  to  examine  their  guns 
and  be  on  their  guard,  as  I  could  not  answer  for  the  con- 
sequences of  the  present  interview.  We  smoked  several 
pipes,  during  which  time  Tabashaw  made  some  speeches, 
the  conclusion  of  which  was  always — "  liquor."  Others  also 
spoke  to  the  same  purpose  ;  but  all  this  would  not  do.  I 
was  fully  determined  not  to  give  them  even  a  dram,  as  they 
had  made  use  of  very  unbecoming  expressions,  and  it 
appeared  to  me  their  plan  was  to  frighten  us.'  Reluctant 
as  I  was  to  have  any  misundeistanding  with  them  at  this 
early  period,  I  could  not  suffer  them  to  impose  upon  me. 
I  plainly  saw  what  they  were  bent  upon,  and  no  moderation 
would  answer  upon  the  present  occasion.  I  therefore  told 
them  for  the  last  time  that  I  was  determined  to  not  give 
them  a  drop  of  liquor ;  that  their  behavior  was  indecent ; 
that  they  saw  the  baggages — the  rum  was  there,  if  they 
would  have  it  they  must  take  it ;  but  this  they  must  not 
expect  to  do  whilst  I  and  my  men  could  fire  a  shot.  This 
short  speech  had  the  desired  effect.  They  said  they  did 
not  come  to  rob  or  murder  us ;  they  only  wanted  a  drop  to 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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RAT  RIVER. 


smoke  a  pipe  comfortably  ;  but  as  I  was  so  very  fond  of  it, 
they  would  insist  no  longer,  but  wait  patiently  until  I 
thought  proper  to  treat  them.  They  dropped  away  one  by 
one,  and  in  a  short  time  were  all  gone  except  the  chief, 
Tabashaw,  whom  I  looked  upon  as  the  greatest  villain  of 
ihem  all.  He  remained  to  make  friends,  and  persuade  me 
that  he  had  been  pushed  on  by  the  others;  he  hoped  I 
would  not  think  the  worse  of  him,  but  continue  to  do  him 
charity,  etc.  Thus  ended  an  affair  which  at  one  time  I 
thought  would  have  serious  consequences.  I  knew  very 
well  that  the  Indians  I  had  to  deal  with  were  brave  fellows, 
who  had  more  than  once  pillaged  traders. 

Sunday,  Aug.  z/^ih.  The  Indians  were  sober,  but  very 
sullen.  At  twelve  o'clock  we  embarked,  and  accompanied 
by  a  few  canoes  of  Indians,  saw  many  fresh  tracks  of 
moose,  red  deer,  and  bears,  and  I  shot  some  wild  fowl. 
The  river  winds  as  before,  but  our  average  course  is  S. 
Two  bars  in  a  canoe  gave  way ;  we  put  ashore,  and  fast- 
ened them  with  rope.  At  five  o'clock  we  camped  at  Rat 
river  with  some  of  the  Indians.  This  small  river  is  from 
the  E.;  at  about  three  miles  from  its  entrance  it  is  divided 
into  three  branches,  all  of  which  rise  from  the  Cypress  hills, 
and  after  winding  through  low  country,  like  the  Seine,  in 
whose  neighborhood  it  runs.  Rat  river  empties  at  this 
place."    A  few  years  ago  beavers  were  plenty  on  the  upper 

*'  The  main  forks  of  Rat  r.  unite  much  further  than  this  from  Red  r. ;  they 
are  known  as  the  E.  branch  and  the  S.  branch.  Their  general  course,  like 
that  of  their  united  stream,  is  from  S.  E.  to  N.  W.  On  nearing  Red  r., 
Rat  r.  turns  more  to  the  N.,  receives  a  large  branch  from  the  S.,  and  falls  in 
nearly  on  the  latter  course.  The  drainage  is  approx.  parallel  with  that  of  the 
Seine,  with  which  Henry  compares  it.  The  location  of  Chaboillez's  house  is 
confirmed  by  Thompson,  who  passed  it  on  Friday,  Mar.  Qth,  1798  ;  he  says 
that  it  was  built  \  m.  up  Rat  r.,  but  does  not  say  on  which  side.  He  made  the 
lat.  49^  33'  58"  N.  This  post  must  not  be  confounded  with  Chaboillez's  house 
of  1797-98,  on  Red  r.,  at  site  of  Pembina.  There  were  two  persons  named 
Chaboillez,  father  and  son,  both  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  and  often  confused.  C.  J. 
B.  Chaboillez  was  on  the  Red  and  Assiniboine,  etc.,  with  some  intermission, 
from  1796,  or  earlier,  till  1805,  or  later ;  he  signed  the  Montreal  i^;reement  of 
Nov.  sth,  1804,  by  his  attys.;  in  winter  of  1804-05,  he  was  in  charge  of  Dept« 


CHABOILLEZS  HOUSE — VOYAGE  RESUMED. 


6l 


part  of  these  forks,  but  no\  they  are  nearly  destroyed.  At 
the  entrance  of  the  Rat  we  observed  the  remains  of  some 
old  buildings,  where  [Mr.  Charles  Jean  Baptiste]  ChaboUlez 
wintered  in  1796-97.  This  evening  most  of  the  Indians 
overtook  us,  apparently  in  a  good  humor.  We  caught 
but  few  fish,  the  reason  being  that,  on  approaching  this 
little  stream,  Red  river  becomes  broader,  shallower,  and 
often  interrupted  by  large  rocks,  though  there  is  plenty 
water  for  canoes. 

Aug.  25th.  I  prevailed  upon  the  Indians  to  decamp 
early.  Sent  Desmarais  with  the  horse  by  land,  as  usual. 
The  country  does  not  admit  of  riding ;  it  is  too  much  over- 
grown with  thick  b/ush,  poplars,  and  willows.  At  sunrise 
we  "jmbarked,  and  proceeded  with  great  caution,  to  avoid 
running  foul  of  the  numerous  stones.  Came  to  the  first 
rocky  point,  where  we  found  all  the  Indians  had  put  ashore. 
They  informed  us  that  they  had  heard  several  shots,  and 
had  left  orders  for  us  to  await  their  return.  I  did  not 
think  proper  to  comply,  but  proceeded,  advising  them  to 
follow,  which  they  did.  We  soon  met  some  Indians,  who 
informed  us  that  the  shots  had  been  fired  by  the  Red 
Sucker  Indians  who  had  joined  us  at  Riviere  Sale,  and  who, 
having  put  their  families  on  board  canoes,  had  made  a  turn 
on  the  meadow,  and  were  shooting  buffalo. 

We  now  passed  the  second  rocky  point.  The  current  at 
both  these  places  is  very  swift,  and  the  passage  winding, 
but  there  is  plenty  of  water ;  we  got  up  by  means  of  our 
setting-poles.    We  had  no  sooner  passed  this  narrow  place, 


of  the  Assiniboine  at  Monti^e  &  la  Bosse  ;  and  it  was  he  who  corresponded 
with  Lewis  and  Clark  at  the  Mandans  :  see  L.  and  C,  ed.  1893,  p.  187.  He 
died  at  Terrebonne  in  1809.  A  daughter  married  the  geographer,  Joseph 
Bouchette  ;  another  married  Roderick  McKenzie ;  a  third  married  Simon 
McTavish.  His  son  Charles  2d  succeeded  him  ;  this  is  the  one  who  was  at  the 
Mandans  in  1806.  He  died  at  Terrebonne  in  1812,  leaving  three  children, 
Charles  3d,  Jean,  and  Marguerite.  The  name  often  appears  as  Chaboilles, 
Chaboiller,  Chaboillier,  Cheboillez,  and  in  some  other  forms,  as  Shabboyer  and 
Shabboyea  in  Tanner's  Narr.  Rat  r.  is  rendered  Wasushkwatape  or  Musk- 
rat  r.  in  Keating's  Long,  II.  pp.  64^  80. 


63 


SALT  PITS— BUFFALOES. 


than  one  of  my  canoes  ran  upon  a  stone,  and  would  have 
sunk,  had  we  not  been  near  to  unload  her  instantly  upon 
the  three  others.  We  dragged  her  from  the  stone,  and 
hauled  her  ashore,  but  were  so  unlucky  as  to  have  mud  up 
to  the  waist  where  we  unloaded.  This  is  the  second 
time  this  canoe  has  foundered  since  leaving  the  Forks,  so 
she  is  now  in  a  sad  condition.  I  left  them  to  repair  her, 
and  went  on  with  the  Indians  to  the  first  salt  pit,  where  we 
camped. 

One  of  the  Indians  soon  arrived,  having  killed  a  fine  fat 
hart  [male  elk — Cervus  canadensis],  which  he  gave  me.  We 
are  now  past  the  stones,  and  have  a  gentle  current,  deep 
water,  and  an  ugly,  muddy  beach ;  but  beautiful  encamp- 
ments on  the  edge  of  the  meadows  which,  at  the  turn  of 
almost  every  two  or  three  points,  come  down  to  within  a  few 
yards  of  the  water's  edge.  I  examined  the  salt  pit,  which 
lies  on  the  W.  side,  only  a  few  yards  from  the  river,  where 
it  issues  out  of  the  ground ;  but  the  mouth  would  require 
to  be  dug  away  to  form  a  kind  of  basin  to  dip  out  the 
water.  It  was  late  before  our  damaged  canoe  joined  us, 
having  broken  twice  since  we  left  her.  Fresh  tracks  of 
moose,  red  deer,  and  bears  are  now  so  frequent  that  we 
pay  no  attention  to  them  ;  and  this  afternoon  we  observed 
the  tracks  of  several  bulls  on  the  W.  side,  where  they  had 
come  down  to  drink.  The  Indians  prepared  their  guns  to 
hunt  buffalo  to-morrow. 

Aug.  26th.  At  sunrise  we  embarked,  leaving  the  Indians 
behind.  At  nine  o'clock  we  found  those  whom  we  heard 
fire  yesterday ;  they  were  waiting  for  me,  with  the  flesh  of 
two  fat  cows,  whose  d^pouilles  [layers  of  fat  under  che 
skin]  were  about  two  inches  thick.  This  was  a  fine  sight 
for  my  people,  who,  for  some  days  past,  had  been  anxiously 
expecting  to  feast  on  vache  grasse  [fat  cow  beef].  We 
embarked  the  meat,  and  proceeded;  the  Indians'  canoes 
were  just  coming  in  sight.  At  nine  o'clock  we  passed  the 
great  salt  pit  on  the  W.  side  ;  it  lies  about  200  paces  from 
the  water,  at  the  edge  of  the  plains,  where  it  issues  out  of 


SCRATCHING  RIVER. 


63 


the  ground,  forming  a  small  basin,  whose  center  seems  con- 
tinually agitated,  bubbling  up  like  a  pot  of  boiling  water. 
This,  I  am  told,  is  an  excellent  place  for  making  salt  at  all 
seasons,  as  the  water  never  freezes;  but  the  process  is 
tedious,  and  requires  a  number  of  large  kettles,  nine  gallons 
of  water  producing  only  one  pint  of  salt.  This  is  iine  and 
white,  almost  like  basket  salt,  having  no  grain  or  grit. 
Having  viewed  the  salt  pit,  we  proceeded  past  a  heap  of 
fresh  meat  which  lay  on  the  bank ;  we  supposed  it  intended 
for  the  Indians'  families,  and,  therefore,  did  not  touch  it, 
but  came  on  to  the  Riviere  aux  Gratias,**  where  we  arrived 
at  two  o'clock.    The  Indians  were  all  waiting  for  us,  with 

'*  Gratia  is  a  Canadian  French  name  of  various  plants  with  prickly  burrs. 
The  gratias  of  the  Red  River  bottoms  are  two  species  of  stickseed,  Echituh 
spermum  floribundum  and  E.  deflexum,  belonging  to  the  borage  family  (Borra- 
ginacea).  They  are  rough,  hairy  herbs,  a  foot  or  two  high,  with  small  blue 
flowers  in  bracted  racemes,  whose  nutlets  are  garnished  with  stout  prickles. 
E.  virginicum  is  a  species  sometimes  called  beggar's-lice.  The  European 
species,  E.  lappula,  is  commonly  naturalized  in  the  U.  S.,  .is  a  weed  in  waste 
places.  Riviire  aux  Gratias  of  the  F.  is  sometimes  Englished  as  Gratias  r.,  but 
now  oftener  called  Scratching  r.,  as  it  has  been  at  least  as  far  back  as  1815. 
Thompson  calls  it  Burr  brook,  1798.  Keating's  Long,  II.  1824,  p.  80, 
renders  "the  name  of  Kaomenakashe,  (Gratiats  of  the  French.)"  It  falls 
into  Red  r.  from  the  W.,  in  the  N.  E.  portion  of  Tp.  4,  R.  i,  E.  of  the 
princ.  merid.,  in  the  District  of  Provencher,  and  at  the  town  of  Morris,  where 
several  railroads  now  concenter.  Scratching  r.  arises  in  the  N.  part  of  the 
Pembina  mts.,  not  far  S.  of  the  Assiniboine,  and  takes  a  general  eastward 
course,  under  the  name  of  Riviire  aux  tlots  de  Bois  (River  of  Clumps  of  Trees), 
till  it  is  dissipated  in  some  extensive  marshes,  about  the  contiguous  comers  of 
Selkirk,  Lisgar,  and  Provencher  districts ;  regathering  from  which,  and  taking 
the  name  of  Riviire  aux  Gratias,  it  flows  S.  S.  E.  to  its  confluence  with  Red  r. 
at  Morris,  as  already  said.  The  coune  of  Scratching  r.  lies  between  Riviire 
Sale  and  Pembina  r.,  and  also  between  the  S.  W.  branch  of  the  C.  P.  Ry. 
and  the  Pacific  and  Manitoba  R.  R.  Its  branches  are  numerous,  but  un- 
important (one  of  the  largest  being  Tobacco  cr.)  ;  and  the  same  may  be  said  of 
several  places  on  or  near  them  and  it.  J.  Duford  built  for  the  X.  Y.  Co.  -at 
mouth  of  the  river  in  Sept.,  1801,  and  J.  B.  Desmarais  for  the  N.  W.  Co. 
there  at  the  same  time:  see  the  date  beyond.  In  coming  from  Rat  r.  to 
Morris,  Henry  has  not  given  us  data  to  check  his  progress  more  closely  than 
his  mention  of  the  rocky  points  and  salt  pits  may  enable  us  to  do ;  but  we  may 
note  that  he  has  passed  successively  the  places  now  called  Ste.  Agathe,  Union 
Point,  Aubigny,  and  Silver  Plains. 


64 


RAVAGES  OF  THE  BUFFALO. 


great  heaps  of  buffalo  meat  which  they  had  just  killed  on 
the  border  of  the  meadow.  Here  we  stopped  for  the 
night. 

The  Indians  told  me  they  had  seen  a  wounded  bull, 
which  must  have  been  shot  by  the  Sioux ;  this  was  enough 
to  give  an  alarm.  We  pitched  upon  an  advantageous  spot 
at  the  entrance  of  the  meadow  to  defend  ourselves  in  case 
of  attack.  The  Indians  had  found  the  ground  on  which  we 
tented  covered  with  buffaloes,  and  shot  several,  the  car- 
casses of  which  lay  near  us,  only  lacking  the  choice  bits. 
The  ravages  of  buffaloes  at  this  place  are  astonishing  to  a 
person  unaccustomed  to  these  meadows.  The  beach,  once 
a  soft  black  mud  into  which  a  man  would  sink  knee-deep,  is 
now  made  hard  as  pavement  by  the  numerous  herds  coming 
to  drink.  The  willows  are  entirely  trampled  and  torn  to 
pieces ;  even  the  bark  of  the  smaller  trees  is  i  ubbed  off  in 
many  places.  The  grass  on  the  first  bank  of  the  river  is 
entirely  worn  away.  Numerous  paths,  some  of  which  are  a 
foot  deep  in  the  hard  turf,  come  from  the  plains  to  the  brink 
of  the  river,  and  the  vast  quantity  of  dung  gives  this  place 
the  appearance  of  a  cattle  yard.  We  have  reached  the 
commencement  of  the  great  plains  of  Red  river,  where  the 
eye  is  lost  in  one  continuous  level  westward.  Not  a  tree  or 
rising  ground  interrupts  the  view.  But  on  the  E.  woody 
country  continues. 

Desmarais  having  arrived  with  our  three  horses,  I  could 
not  refrain  from  satisfying  my  curiosity  by  taking  a  ride  to 
view  the  buffaloes,  having  never  seen  any  before. 

We  took  our  guns  and  mounted,  whilst  our  men  were 
arranging  cam^.  We  had  gone  about  a  mile  when  we  per- 
ceiver!  an  animal  lying  in  the  grass.  We  dismounted  and 
approached  upon  our  bellies  within  about  30  paces ;  it  was  a 
large  bull.  I  desired  my  companion,  who  was  an  old  buffalo 
hunter,  to  fire  at  him  as  he  lay ;  this  he  declined,  as  buffalo 
can  seldom  be  shot  dead  in  that  posture;  he  begged  me 
to  start  the  bull  with  a  shot,  when  he  would  be  ready  to 
fire.    I  aimed  as  best  I  could  for  the  heart,  and  let  fly — 


A  BUFFALO  HUNT. 


65 


when  behold!  the  bull  fell  on  his  side,  stretched  out  his 
legs,  neck,  and  tail,  and  instantly  expired — to  my  own  great 
satisfaction,  but  the  sad  disappointment  of  my  companion. 
Having  plenty  of  meat  in  the  camp  we  took  only  the 
tongue,  leaving  the  animal  for  the  wolves  and  crows,  of 
which  we  saw  many  hovering  around.  Just  as  we  mounted 
we  perceived  a  large  herd  of  cows  to  the  southward,  moving 
down  to  the  river  to  drink.  We  rode  toward  them,  and 
having  got  under  the  bank,  which  was  scarcely  high  enough 
to  conceal  us,  we  kept  on  through  the  woods  at  full  speed, 
in  hopes  of  intercepting  them.  But  in  this  we  failed ;  we 
found  they  had  drunk  and  returned  to  the  meadows.  No 
time  was  to  be  lost;  we  rode  after  them  at  full  speed 
through  the  woods  which  line  the  river.  I  was  so  anxious 
to  overtake  them  that  I  did  not  take  proper  care  to  avoid 
the  trees,  and  suddenly  my  right  breast  struck  full  upon  the 
point  of  an  oak  limb  as  thick  as  my  wrist.  Fortunately  for 
me  it  broke  off.  I  had  not  time  to  examine  the  wound,  but 
cleared  the  woods  and  sighted  the  buffaloes,  not  more  than 
100  paces  off.  We  gave  our  horses  the  rein,  and  were  soon 
up  with  the  herd.  The  dust  they  raised  almost  blinded  us, 
having  the  wind  ahead.  My  horse  was  none  of  the  best 
hunters ;  he  was  fleet,  but  timid  in  closing  up  with  buffaloes. 
I  could  only  get  a  long  shot,  which  fortunately  knocked 
over  a  bull.  I  looked  round  for  my  companion  and  saw 
him  still  near  the  river,  whipping  his  stubborn  horse,  which 
would  not  pursue  the  buffalo.  I  now  examined  my  wound, 
when  I  found  the  limb  had  gone  through  my  jacket,  vest, 
and  shirt,  and  penetrated  the  flesh  half  an  inch,  just  below 
the  right  nipple.  Desmarais  having  joined  me,  we  took  the 
tongue  of  the  animal  only,  although  he  was  tolerably  fat, 
left  him  for  the  wolves  to  devour,  and  started  homeward. 
On  our  way  we  killed  two  more  bulls. 

On  our  return  to  camp  we  found  all  the  men  awaiting  my 
arrival.  A  council  was  held,  when  the  chief  informed  me 
of  their  intention  of  passing  the  winter  near  this  river,  where 
there  were  bears.    They  apprehended  the  danger  was  too 


t**iiim*r»K.tm 


M 


STILL  AT  SCRATCHING  RIVER. 


V  . 


great  for  them  to  venture  further  southward  with  their 
families.  They  therefore  through  him  expressed  their  wish 
that  I  would  build  here  and  give  them  some  liquor  to  drink 
this  evening.  This  I  would  not  agree  to,  telling  them  I 
was  determined  to  proceed  further  up  the  river,  even  if  I 
should  go  alone;  if  they  were  afraid  of  the  Sioux,  they 
might  remain  and  join  me  after  my  fort  was  built ;  and  as 
for  liquor,  they  should  have  none  at  present.  This  sent 
them  away  in  a  pet. 

My  people  have  now  given  over  fishing,  having  plenty  of 
good  meat.  This  evening  our  horses  appeared  restless,  at 
times  terrified,  and  could  not  be  kept  from  nea'  'ng  the  fire ; 
at  times  they  would  neigh  and  snort.  This  gave  alarm,  and 
obliged  us  to  mount  guard  until  daybreak;  the  Indians 
appeared  very  uneasy. 

Aug:  2jth.  I  took  a  walk  along  Riviere  aux  Gratias,  thus 
giving  the  Inoians  time  to  reflect  on  the  answer  I  made 
them  last  night.  None  of  them  appeared  in  a  humor  to 
decamp,  and  it  was  not  my  wish  to  press  them  any  further. 

This  small  river  rises  in  the  Hair  hills  [Pembina  mts.], 
where  it  at  first  takes  the  name  of  Riviere  aux  Islettes 
de  Bois  [Wooded  Islets  river],"  and  is  divided  into  three 
branches  which,  after  leaving  the  hills,  continue  through 
the  level  meadows  on  a  winding  course  for  about  20 
leagues,  with  banks  partially  wooded.  The  wood  then 
ceases  and  the  water  spreads  into  a  large  marsh  in  the  open 
plain,  upward  of  20  leagues  in  circumference.  The  river 
then  separates  in  two  branches,  which  join  again  after  run- 
ning about  25  miles. 

The  Indians  being  so  obstinately  bent  upon  remaining  at 
this  place,  where  I  was  assured  there  were  very  few  beavers, 
I  sent  for  the  principal  men  of  the  Red  Sucker  band,  and 
by  many  persuasions  and  promises  detached  them  from  the 

**  Not  necessarily  implying  that  the  river  has  small  wooded  islands,  but  that 
it  is  bordered  at  intervals  by  patches  or  clumps  of  trees,  commonly  called 
isUttes  de  bois  by  the  voyageurs.  I  presume  islettes  would  be  preferably  written 
tlots:  compare  the  literary  F.  phrase  ilots  de  maisons,  blocks  of  houses. 


PLUM   RIVER— GRAND   MARAIS. 


67 


Saulteurs  and  prevailed  upon  them  to  decamp.  Loaded 
my  canoes  and  sent  them  off,  w^  ilst  I  remained  to  follow 
on  horseback.  The  river  continues  very  crooked,  which 
gave  us  plenty  of  leisure  to  chase  buffalo.  At  two  o'clock 
we  stopped  at  Plumb  [Plum]  river  to  await  the  canoes. 
Tabashaw  soon  joined  us  by  land,  told  me  a  smooth  story 
of  his  having  prevailed  upon  the  Indians  to  follow  me,  and 
begged  I  woula  camp  early,  that  their  canoes  might  over- 
take us  this  evening ;  in  the  meantime  he  would  remain 
with  me.  My  canoes  having  come  up,  I  desired  them  to 
wait  for  the  Indians.  Before  I  left  this  place  upward  of  20 
men  had  joined. us  by  land,  having  sent  their  families  on  by 
water.  We  amused  ourselves  by  lying  in  wait  close  under 
the  bank  for  the  buffaloes  which  came  to  drink.  When  the 
poor  brutes  came  to  within  about  10  yards  of  us,  on  a  sud- 
den we  would  fire  a  volley  of  25  guns  at  them,  killing  and 
wounding  many,  of  which  we  only  took  the  tongues.  The 
Indians  suggested  that  we  should  all  fire  together  at  one 
lone  bull  which  appeared,  to  have  the  satisfaction,  as  they 
said,  of  killing  him  stone  dead.  The  beast  advanced  until 
he  was  within  six  or  eight  paces,  when  the  yell  was  given 
and  all  hands  let  fly ;  but  instead  of  falling  he  galloped  off, 
and  it  was  only  after  several  more  discharges  that  he  was 
brought  to  the  ground.  The  Indians  enjoyed  this  sport 
hif '  h  —it  is  true  the  amm,unitton  cost  them  nothing.  We 
novv  set  off  to  join  the  canoes,  and  soon  perceived  the 
smoke  where  they  were  camped. 

At  the  Grand  Marais,  just  before  we  reached  them,  a 
bull  rushed  up  from  the  water  side.  I  being  the  only  one 
on  horseback,  the  Indians  wished  me  to  give  it  chase.  I 
did  so,  and  was  soon  near  him.  I  sent  a  ball  through 
the  liver.  The  blood  instantly  gushed  out  of  his  nostrils 
and  mouth,  in  a  stream  as  thick  as  my  arm ;  at  the  same 
time  he  turned  about  and  plunged  at  me  with  his  tongue 
hanging  out  of  his  mouth,  and  his  tail  tvristed  over  his  back, 
presenting  a  frightful  figure.  I  was  surprised  at  his  agility 
in  attempting  to  gore  my  horse ;  but  I  avoided  him  as  best 


68 


TABASHAW  SERIOUS— PLUM   RIVER. 


I  could,  until  a  second  shot  knocked  him  down.  This  was 
another  diversion  for  the  Indians. 

We  then  went  to  camp,  but  very  few  of  the  Indian  canoes 
arrived  this  evening.  Tabashaw  and  some  others  slept  in 
my  tent.  They  were  very  curious  to  know  what  I  was 
writing  every  evening,  as  I  never  sent  away  any  person 
with  letters.  To  satisfy  his  curiosity,  I  told  him  I  kept  an 
exact  account  of  the  Indians'  behavior ;  that  every  word 
they  said  was  put  down  ;  that  this  memorandum  was  to  be 
laid  before  the  gentlemen  at  Grand  Portage  next  summer, 
and  that  every  Indian  would  be  rewarded  according  to  his 
deserts — which  made  Tabashaw  look  very  serious. 

Aug.  28th.  Contrary  to  custom  the  Indians  set  out  on  foot 
ahead,  telling  us  they  would  go  and  hunt,  and  requesting 
us  to  wait  for  their  families,  which  we  accordingly  did.  At 
nine  o'clock,  all  having  arrived,  I  sent  off  my  canoes,  and 
went  myself  on  horseback  with  Desmarais.  We  soon  over- 
took a  party  of  the  Indians,  who  had  killed  eight  fat  cows, 
three  red  deer,  and  four  bears.  They  were  busy  cutting  the 
meat  up  for  my  peeple  to  take  aboard.  I  left  them  there 
and  soon  aftenvard  found  another  party,  who  had  killed 
five  cows  and  were  cutting  them  up.  Finding  myself  now 
some  distance  ahead  of  my  canoes,  and  perceiving  numer- 
ous herds  of  buffaloes  along  Plumb  river,  which  makes  a 
bend  almost  opposite  us,  I  took  a  ride  in  the  plain  to 
chase  them.  Plumb  river  **  rises  in  Hair  hills  in  a  marsh  a 
little  S.  of  BuiTalo  Head  [old  T£te  de  Boeuf,or  Bull's  Head, 
now  Calf  mt.],  whence  it  runs  down  the  hills  and  through 
the  level  meadows;  there  it  has  no  wood  on  its  banks, 
excepting  at  one  place  where  a  few  stunted  willows  and 
chance  elms  grow.  This  spot  is  called  [Loge  des  Bceufs 
or]  Buffaloes'  Tent;  it  is  situated  halfway  between  the 
hills  and  Red  river.  The  drought  has  been  so  great  this 
season  that  there  is  scarcely  any  water  in  }:his  little  river, 
and  the  entrance  is  dry  ground ;   this  was  thought  extra- 

**  Plum  r.  is  noted  by  the  names  of  Pekasun  or  Plumb  r.  in  Keating,  II. 
1824,  p.  80  ;  it  was  dry  when  Long's  party  passed  in  Aug.,  1823. 


SWAMP  RIVER— REED  RIVER. 


69 


ordinary  by  those  acquainted  with  the  country.  Having 
killed  a  fat  cow,  we  cut  off  the  choice  pieces  and  took 
our  course  for  the  entrance  of  Riviere  aux  Marais/' 
where  my  people  had  just  arrived.  The  Indians  requested 
me  to  wait  here,  as  some  of  their  families  were  still  far 
behind.    We  accordingly  encamped. 

This  small  river  receives  its  water  out  of  several  marshes 
which  lie  in  the  open  meadows  about  six  leagues  distant, 
in  a  direct  line  W.  S.  W.  It  there  runs  on  a  very  crooked 
winding  course  before  it  joins  Red  river.  But  the  banks 
are  wooded  throughout,  principally  by  oak  and  bois  blanc. 
As  I  knew  the  Indians  desired  me  to  leave  people  to  win- 
ter about  this  place,  and  having  been  informed  there  were 
beaver  at  the  entrance  of  Riviere  aux  Roseaux,**  which  is 
about  a  mile  above  us,  I  went  to  look  for  a  proper  place  to 
build.     I  returned  about  sunset,  having  pitched  upon  the 

**  Present  name  of  the  small  stream  which  heads  in  marshes,  as  Henry  says, 
about  the  international  boundary  of  49"  N.  between  N.  Dakota  and  Manitoba, 
flows  on  a  general  course  N.  N.  E,,  and  falls  into  the  left  side  of  Red  r.,  a 
short  distance  below  the  mouth  of  Roseau  r.  Thompson  calls  it  Brook  of 
Swamps,  Mar.  13th,  1798,  and  makes  its  mouth  }^  m.  from  that  of  Roseau 
r.  Keating  gives  it  as  Swampy  or  Petopek  r.,  a  mere  brook,  dry  when  Long's 
party  passed  in  Aug.,  1823.  In  coming  here  from  Morris  Henry  has  passed 
places  on  the  W.  side  of  the  river  called  St.  Jean  Baptiste  and  Gauthier,  and 
reached  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Letellier. 

**  Present  Roseau  r.,  often  wrongly  Rosseau ;  name  translated  Reed  and 
Reedgrass  r.;  Brook  of  Reeds  of  Thompson,  1798;  Indian  name  Pekwionusk  r. 
also  found,  in  Keating's  Long,  II.  1834,  p.  80.  This  is  a  large  river,  whose  stream 
Thompson  speaks  of  as  not  much  less  than  that  of  Red  r.  itself.  It  gathers  its 
waters  in  the  great  swamps  W.  of  Lake  of  the  Woods,  above,  on,  and  below 
lat.  49"  ;  its  two  principal  branches,  or  North  and  South  forks,  contribute  to 
form  East  Reed  r.,  which,  with  Pine  r.,  flows  into  Roseau  1.,  in  the  N.  E. 
comer  of  Kittson  Co.,  Minn.,  whence  the  main  stream  meanders  W.  near  the 
N.  berder  of  that  county,  crosses  49"  into  the  Provencher  district  of  Manitoba, 
33  m.  E.  of  Pembina,  at  or  near  the  boundary  between  Ranges  vii  and  viii. 
E.  of  the  princ.  merid.,  and  thence  pursues  a  circuitous  course  to  empty  into 
Red  r.  through  the  Nashakepenats  Indian  reserve,  which  occupies  the  E.  side 
of  Red  r.  between  Gauthier  and  Sr.  Pie.  The  mouth  of  Reed  r.  is  13  m.  N. 
of  49',  nearly  opp.  Letellier  ;  the  river  is  crossed  at  the  station  Dominion  City 
by  the  Emerson  branch  of  the  C.  P.  Ry.  The  old  boundary  line  of  the  Red 
Lake  Indian  reservation  ran  N.  E.  from  Thief  r.,  across  various  heads  of  Reed 
r.,  to  reach  Buffalo  pt.  on  Lake  of  the  Woods. 


70 


KEED   RIVER   ROUTE. 


N.  side  of  the  entrance  of  that  river  for  the  spot.  The 
Indians  did  not  all  join  us  this  evening. 

Reed  river,  which  I  had  examined,  comes  in  from  the  E. 
It  receives  its  water  from  a  lake  of  the  same  name  not 
many  [about  25]  miles  W.  of  Lac  des  Bois.  The  lake 
receives  its  waters  from  a  number  of  rivulets  which  flow 
from  all  directions  excepting  the  W.  These  are  supplied 
by  a  low  marshy  country,  excepting  on  the  N.,  where  they 
take  their  water  from  Cypress  hills.  Reed  lake  is  nearly 
filled  with  small  islands  of  reeds  {Phragntites  communis] 
and  rushes  [bulrushes,  Scirpus  lacustris],  and  surrounded  by 
reeds  and  long  grass  for  about  half  a  mile  from  the  water's 
edge.  Fish  arc  plenty,  such  as  pike  [probably  Stizoste- 
dion  canadense\  pois  d'ouce,  and  suckers,  with  other  small 
kinds.  Sturgeon  [Acipenser  rubicundus]  also  frequent  this 
lake  in  the  spring,  by  way  of  Reed  river.  The  course  of 
this  river  is  winding,  and  interrupted  by  rapids,  occasioned 
by  frequent  reefs  of  stone  crossing  the  channel.  The 
banks  are  well  wooded.  The  country  is  low,  particularly 
on  the  N.;  it  abounds  in  moose  and  red  deer,  with  a  few 
bears  in  the  winter,  when  the  weather  is  severe  ;  buffaloes 
also  resort  here.  While  the  French  were  in  possession, 
they  frequently  passed  by  this  route  "  to  the  Assiniboine. 

Aug.  2gth.  I  was  unwell  last  night,  as  I  imagined,  from 
the  violent  exertion  of  the  day  before,  when  the  weather 
had  been  hot  and  sultry.  This  morning  I  felt  easier,  but 
weak  and  languid,  from  the  extraordinary  evacuations  dur- 
ing the  night. 

"  Tanner's  Narr.,  ed.  James,  1830,  p.  64,  speaks  of  this  route  :  "  We  then 
returned  to  the  Lake  of  the  Woods.  From  this  lake  the  Indians  have  a  road, 
to  go  to  Red  River,  which  the  white  men  never  follow  ;  this  is  by  way  oi  the 
Muskeek,  or  swamp  carrying  place.  We  went  up  a  river  which  the  Indians 
call  Muskeego-ne-gum-me-wee-see-bee,  or  Swamp  River,  for  several  days  ;  we 
then  dragged  our  canoes  acrou  a  swamp  for  one  day.  .  .  Then  we  put  our 
canoes  into  a  small  stream,  which  they  called  Begwionusk,  from  the  begwionusk, 
or  cow  parsley,  which  grows  upon  it ;  this  we  descended  into  a  small  Sahkiegun 
[lake],  which  they  call  by  the  same  name."  This  last  is  the  Pekwionusk, 
Reed  or  Reedgrass,  or  Roseau  r.  It  is  named  as  Begwionushko  r.  on  p.  173, 
and  said  to  fall  into  Red  r.  "  about  10  miles  below  Pembinah." 


A  QUIET  SYMPOSIUM. 


71 


At  twelve  o'clock  the  Red  Suckers  band  arrived,  and 
camped  on  the  W.  .de  of  Red  river;  all  the  Saulteurs 
camped  on  the  E.  side,  exactly  opposite  us.  At  three 
o'clock  I  sent  for  them,  to  ask  who  would  follow  me  up 
river,  and  how  many  would  remain  here,  that  I  might 
assort  the  goods  accordingly.  I  found  only  Maymiutch, 
Crow,  Charlo,  Aupersay,**  and  Little  Crane  inclined  to  go. 
All  the  others,  through  dread  of  the  Sioux,  were  deter- 
mined to  remain  about  this  place,  where  they  told  me 
there  were  more  beaver  than  I  perhaps  imagined.  This 
point  settled,  I  inade  them  a  present  of  three  kegs  of  mixed 
liquor,  and  sent  them  to  enjoy  themselves  at  their  cabins, 
whilst  I  assorted  the  goods  I  proposed  to  leave.  The 
Indians  drank  very  quietly,  but  the  least  noise  alarmed 
them,  and  they  supposed  the  enemy  to  be  upon  them. 
However  tumultuous  the  Saulteurs  may  be  in  their  drink> 
ing-bouts  when  they  apprehend  no  danger,  they  acted  so 
differently  on  this  occasion  that  they  did  not  seem  like  the 
same  band  who  had  been  roaring  drunk  at  Riviere  la  Sale. 

At  night  I  was  troubled  by  the  visit  of  a  young  woman 
from  the  other  side,  which  nearly  occasioned  an  ugly  affair. 
About  ten  o'clock  she  came  into  my  tent  without  solicita- 
tion. I  was  asleep ;  she  awoke  me  and  asked  for  liquor.  I 
recognized  her  voice  and  knew  that  her  husband,  the 
greatest  scoundrel  amon|;  them  all,  was  exceedingly  jealous. 
I  therefore  advised  her  to  return  instantly,  and  not  let  him 
know  she  had  been  here.  She  requested  a  dram,  although 
she  was  sober.  I  offered  her  a  little  mixed  liquor,  which 
she  refused,  telling  me  she  wanted  "  augumaucbane."  I 
was  obliged  to  open  my  case  and  give  her  a  glass  of  French 

**  Aupenay  does  not  appear  in  the  list  on  pp.  53,  54,  but  is  no  doubt  the  name 
of  one  of  the  Indians  there  listed  in  equivalent  French  or  English  form,  though 
I  have  seen  a  statement  that  the  word  is  some  sort  of  French  for  "  sword  ";  it 
is  elsewhere  spelled  Arepersay,  Aupersoi,  etc.  Henry  presently  speaks  of 
sending  the  Indians  to  their  "  cabins,"  and  also  uses  the  same  expression  in 
various  other  places  ;  but  we  must  not  suppose  that  such  structures  were  any- 
thing more  than  rude  shelters  made  of  bark  for  temporary  use  on  the  march, 
just  as  we  would  pitch  tents. 


1^ 


THE  WOMAN  IN  THE  CASE. 


brandy,  which  I  made  her  swallow  at  one  draught;  but 
whether  it  actually  choked  her  or  she  was  feigning,  she  fell 
down  as  if  senseless  and  lay  like  a  corpse.     I  was  anxious 
to  get  her  away,  but  my  endeavors  were  in  vain ;  it  was 
totally  dark  and  I  began  to  believe  her  dead.    I  thought  to 
draw  her  to  the  tent  door,  and  woke  up  my  servant,  whom 
I  desired  to  assist  me.    I  sent  him  for  a  kettle  of  water, 
which  I  poured  over  her  head  while  he  held  her  up;  a 
second  was  applied  in  the  same  manner,  but  to  no  purpose. 
I  became  uneasy  about  her,  and  sent  for  a  third  kettle,  the 
contents  of  which  I  dashed  in  her  face  with  all  my  strength. 
She  groaned,  and  began  to  speak.    I  lost  no  time  before 
sending  the  man  to  conduct  her  to  her  canoe.    In  a  half  an 
hour  she  return'^d,  having  shifted  her  clothes  and  dressed 
very  fine ;  her  husband  being  an  excellent  hunter  and  with- 
out children,  she  had  always  plenty  of  finery.    She  told  me 
in  plain  terms  that  she  had  left  her  husband  and  come  to 
live  with   me.     This  was  news  I   neither  expected   nor 
desired.     I  represented  to  her  the  impropriety  of  her  doing 
so,  her  husband  being  fond  of  her  and  extremely  jealous. 
Her  answer  was,  that  she  did  not  care  for  him  or  any  other 
Indian,  and  was  determined  to  stay  with  me  at  the  risk  of 
her  life.    Just  then  we  heard  a  great  bustle  across  the  river, 
and  the  Indians  bawling  out "  take  care !  "    We  were  going 
to  be  fired  on.    We  saw  the  flash  of  a  gun,  but  it  appeared  to 
miss  fire.    I  had  no  doubt  the  woman  was  the  cause  of  this, 
and  I  insisted  on  her  returning  to  her  husband ;  but  she 
would  not.    Observing  that  the  men  had  made  a  fire,  I 
called  my  servant  and  desired  him  to  take  her  to  the  fire 
and  keep  her  from  troubling  me  again.    This  he  did  much 
against    her   inclination,   being    compelled    to    use    main 
strength,  and  by  good  luck  got  her  on  board  a  canoe  that 
was  crossing.    The  noise  we  had  heard  on  the  other  side 
was  made  by  the  husband,  who,  knowing  of  his  wife's  inten- 
tion, had  determined  to  shoot  at  my  tent ;  but  his  gun  only 
flashed,  and  his  brothers  took  it  from  him.    On  his  wife's 
return  he  asked  her  where  she  had  been.    She  made  no 


BEAUTY   RUINED  AND  FESTIVITIES  RESTORED.         7$ 

secret  of  the  matter,  but  paid  she  was  determined  to  go 
with  me.  "  Well,  then,"  said  the  Indian,  "  if  you  are  deter, 
mined  to  leave  me,  I  will  at  least  have  the  satisfaction  of 
spoiling  your  pretty  face."  He  caught  up  a  large  fire- 
brand, threw  her  on  her  back,  and  rubbed  it  in  her  face 
with  all  his  might,  until  the  fire  was  extinguished.  Then 
letting  her  up,  "  Now,"  says  he,  "  go  and  see  your  beloved, 
and  ask  him  if  he  likes  you  as  well  as  he  did  before."  Her 
face  was  in  a  horrid  condition.  I  was  sorry  for  it ;  she  was 
really  the  handsomest  woman  on  the  river,  and  not  more  than 
1 8  years  of  age.  Still,  I  can  say  I  never  had  connection 
with  her,  as  she  always  told  me  if  I  did  that  she  would  pub- 
lish it  and  live  with  me  in  spite  of  everybody.  This  I  did  not 
wish,  as  I  was  well  aware  o..  the  consequences.  Thus  ended 
a  very  unpleasant  affair,  with  the  ruin  of  a  pretty  face. 

Aug. 30th.  The  Indians  continued  drinking ;  one  of  them, 
who  had  received  a  stab  in  the  knee  during  the  night,  came 
over  for  me  to  dress  it.  The  wound  was  deep  and  in  an 
ugly  place.  I  had  no  doubt  he  would  be  lame  the  whole 
winter.  Several  of  my  men  purchased  dogs  from  the 
Indians  for  liquor.  I  was  surprised  to  find  they  were  drink- 
ing steadily,  as  I  supposed  the  rum  I  had  let  them  have  must 
have  given  out.  On  inquiry  I  was  informed  they  had  a 
9^11on  keg  of  high  wine.  I  instantly  examined  my  bag- 
gage, and  found  one  keg  wanting  in  Lagass^'s  canoe.  I 
could  get  no  intelligence  of  this  keg,  though  I  found  the 
place  where  it  had  been  hauled  ashore,  a  little  below  camp. 
I  quarreled  and  abused  them  all,  but  everyone  pretended 
ignorance.  I  came  back,  telling  them  I  would  be  soon 
revenged  for  their  roguery.  Not  long  afterward  we  saw  an 
Indian  coming  down  the  riverside  with  the  keg  on  his 
shoulder ;  he  beckoned  to  us  to^  come  for  him,  which  we 
did,  and  found  it  was  the  keg  of  high  wine,  out  of  which 
about  a  gallon  had  been  taken.  I  recompensed  the  fellow 
for  his  trouble,  and  wished  him  to  inform  me  who  had 
stolen  the  keg ;  but  he  would  not  tell  me,  only  saying  he 
had  found  it  in  the  woods. 


74 


REVELRY  ENDED  IN  ALARM. 


Sunday,  Aug.  jist.    The   Indians  were  sober,  though 
some    of   them  were    troublesome    and    wanted  liquor; 
others  went  hunting.     I   arranged  everything  with    Mr. 
Langlois,  whom  I  intended  to  leave  here  with   half  the 
property,  and  was  soon  ready  to  proceed  on  my  journey; 
but  the  Indians  were  continually  alanued.    At  ten  o'clock 
one  of  them  returned  in  a  great  hurry,  telling  us  he  had 
seen  three  horsemen  in  the  meadow  going  at  full  speed 
southward ;  one  was  mounted  on  a  light-colored  horse.    In 
a  few  minutes  Gueule  Platte  arrived  and  said  he  had  been 
pursued  by  three  horsemen,  who  attempted  to  intercept  his 
route  to  camp ;   but  his  horse  being  fresh  and  more  fleet 
than  theirs,  he  escaped.     He  seemed  to  be  in  a  great 
fright.    This  news  spread  alarm  in  the  Indian  camp  on  the 
opposite  shore.    All  the  women  fell  to  work  instantly  to 
dig  holes  in  the  ground  on  the  bank  for  themselves  and 
their  children  to  hide  in.    The  Red  Suckers  band  did  not 
stir  from  my  camp,  saying  they  would  die  with  us.    Two 
of  them  set  off  with  one  of  my  men  on  horseback,  on  dis- 
coveries [i.  e.,  to  scout  or  reconnoiter].    We  arranged  our 
baggage  and  camp  as  advantageously  as  the  ground  would 
permit.     The   Indians  wished  me  to  cross  the  river  and 
camp  with  them,  telling  me  that  the  Sioux,  having  nothing 
to  interrupt  their  passage,  would  rush  upon  us  and  destroy 
us  before  we  could  put  ourselves  in  any  state  of  defense ; 
whereas,  upon  the  other  side,  the  enemy  would  have  the 
river  to  cross  to  attack  us.      I  declined  this  proposal,  tell- 
ing them  I  did  not  believe  there  was  any  real  danger.    My 
notion  in  keeping  my  ground  was  to  convince  the  Indians 
that  I  did  not  fear  any  danger,  as  by  this  means  I  hoped 
to  get  more    of  them  to  follow  me.       Had   I  appeared 
alarmed  their  fright  would  have  been  still  greater,  and  prob- 
ably they  would  all  have  returned  below.    I  wdnt  over  to 
see  their  trenches.    There  were  three  principal  ones  about 
20  feet  long,  5   feet  wide,  and  4  feet  deep.    These  were 
intended  for  the  men  to  defend  themselves  in,  whilst  the 
women  and  children  lie  close  on  the  bottom.    I  was  sur- 


I 


H 


ALARM  CONTINUED— COUNCIL  HELD. 


75 


prised  to  see  how  expeditious  they  had  been,  having  neither 
hoes  nor  spades.  Thejr  used  axes  to  cut  the  earth ;  the 
women  and  children  with  their  hands  threw  it  into  kettles 
and  on  blankets,  and  then  tossed  it  up.  At  five  o'clock  the 
discovering  [scouting]  party  returned,  having  been  on  the 
spot  where  Gueule  Platte  said  he  had  been  pursued.  They 
saw  the  tracks  of  three  red  deer,  which  must  have  been  the 
cause  of  his  fright.  I  have  often  observed  that  the  red 
deer,  particularly  at  this  season,  when  their  horns  are  full 
grown,  have  at  a  distance  a  great  resemblance  to  horsemen. 
The  women  and  children  lay  in  their  tranches  all  night, 
the  men  in  their  cabins.  I  kept  watch  during  the  night, 
for  I  suspected  the  Saulteurs  were  rogues  enough  to  give 
us  a  false  alarm,  to  induce  me  to  winter  here  and  send 
nobody  above,  or  even  to  return  below,  where  they  appre- 
hended no  danger. 

Monday,  Sept.  ist.  Early  this  morning  the  Sucker  band 
again  set  out  on  discoveries,  and  we  soon  heard  several 
shots  on  the  plain.  This  was  certainly  the  Sioux,  who  had 
laid  in  wait  and  killed  them.  The  Indians  flew  to  arms, 
and  ran  to  the  meadows ;  but  I  contented  myself  with 
sending  two  men,  whilst  I  remained  with  the  others  to  take 
care  of  my  property.  At  ten  o'clock  they  all  returned 
loaded  with  meat,  the  Red  Suckers  having  fired  on  a  herd 
of  buffalo  and  killed  several.  Next,  one  of  my  horses 
was  missing,  and  the  Indians  insisted  that  the  enemy  had 
taken  him.  I  sent  six  men  to  search  for  him.  At  five 
o'clock  the  discovering  party  returned.  Mr.  Langlois, 
whom  I  had  sent  with  them,  informed  me  that  they  had 
been  to  the  Grand  Passage  on  Panbidn  [Pembina]  river, 
where  they  found  a  bull  fresh  killed,  and  another  with  a 
broken  leg;  and  thought  this  must  have  been  done  by 
our  men.  To  this  the  Saulteurs  would  not  agree,  and  held 
a  council  whether  they  should  return  to  the  Forks  or 
remain  here ;  but  I  paid  no  more  attention  to  them,  seeing 
they  did  all  in  their  power  to  prevent  one  from  going 
above.    Tabashaw  was  perpetually  urging  them  to  return 


;6 


LIQUOR  SAMPLED  BY  EXPERTS. 


to  the  Forks  and  go  thence  to  Portage  la  Prairie,  but  I  cir- 
cumvented his  proceedings  so  well  that  he  always  failed. 
The  Red  Suckers  band  were  the  only  ones  who  appeared 
inclined  to  follow  me.  I  informed  them  I  intended  to 
resume  my  journey  to-morrow  morning,  but  they  begged 
for  one  day  more  to  go  again  on  discoveries  along  Red 
river,  which  I  promised  them. 

Sept.  2d.  Early  this  morning  two  parties  of  the  Sucker 
band  set  off,  some  afoot,  some  on  horseback.  The  Indians 
who  were  •  to  remain  insisted  on  taking  their  debts ;  but  I 
put  them  off,  as  I  thought  they  were  too  unsettled  in  mind 
at  present.  I  hired  one  to  go  in  search  of  my  horse,  but 
he  was  unsuccessful. 

This  evening  I  had  a  joke  on  my  two  seconds.  I  had  a 
small  keg  of  bad  West  India  rum,  which  I  broke  open. 
Langlois  was  the  first  to  taste  it.  He  smacked  his  lips,  and 
said  it  was  the  best  French  brandy  he  had  ever  tasted. 
Desmarais  was  then  helped;  he  observed  that  French 
brandy  was  the  only  liquor  of  v/hich  he  was  a  competent 
judge ;  that  his  friend  had  often  attempted  to  deceive  him 
by  adulterating  that  liquor,  but  that  he  always  discovered 
the  cheat.  He,  too,  began  to  smile,  tasted,  and  smacked 
his  lips,  swearing  it  was  real  cognac,  the  only  liquor  he 
relished.  Great  praises  were  bestowed  by  them  both  on 
the  flavor  and  richness  of  French  brandy,  as  superior  to 
any  other  spirits.  I  had  a  hearty  laugh  when  I  told  them 
it  was  bad  West  India  rum. 

Sept.  3d.  Early  this  morning  a  party  went  after  their 
friends  who  left  yesterday.  An  Indian  child  fell  into  the 
river,  and  was  at  the  point  of  drowning,  when  an  Indian 
jumped  in,  and  drew  up  the  child  in  a  state  of  insensibility ; 
it  was  some  time  before  it  recovered.  Langlois  and  Des> 
marais  had  a  glass  of  colored  high  wine  to-day,  which  they 
praised  as  the  best  West  India  rum  they  ever  drank; 
"  how  nice  and  pleasant,"  said  they ;  "  unlike  that  nasty 
strong  stuff,  high  wine."  I  had  a  second  laugh  at  them, 
when  they  swore  never  more  to  pretend  to  judge  liquor. 


THE  BRIGADE  AGAIN  DIVIDED. 


7; 


Notwithstandir.r  buffaloes  and  other  animals  are  so 
numerous,  we  are  again  obliged  to  depend  upon  our  hooks 
and  lines.  We  take  plenty  of  catfish  and  lacaishe.  The 
Indians  are  too  much  alarmed  to  hunt,  and  I  think  it  pru- 
dent to  send  my  own  men.  At  two  o'clock  the  discovering 
party  returned,  but  had  seen  only  two  or  three  wounded 
bulls,  and  a  dead  one,  which  must  have  been  shot  by  some 
of  us.  I  sent  Langlois  in  two  canoes  with  his  baggage  to 
camp  at  the  entrance  of  Reed  river,  on  the  spot  where  I 
intende.^  he  should  build.  The  canoes  having  returned,  we 
gummed  and  prepared  for  departure  to-morrow,  giving  one 
of  my  large  canoes  to  the  Indians  to  embark  their  families, 
as  they  supposed  they  would  be  safer  all  together,  in  one 
large  canoe,  than  separated  in  small  ones.  I  leave  exactly 
one-half  of  my  goods  here,  in  charge  of  Michel  Langlois. 

Those  who  remain  here  are :  Langlois,  wife,  and  child  ; 
Lagass^  and  wife ;  Masson  [wife,  and  two  children  ?J ; 
Hamel,  Roy,  Dubois,  Pouliot,  and  the  wife  and  two  children 
of  Desmarais ;  total,  16.** 

Those  who  go  above  are :  myself,  Desmarais,  Bellegarde, 
Daisville,  Roger  [sic],  Benoit,  Larocque,  sr.,  Larocque, 
jr.,  Beauchemin,  Lafrance,  Barb6,  Charbonneau,  McDon- 
ald, and  Pierre  (the  negro).  Thus  we  are  14  men,  and  we 
have  not  one  woman  or  child  with  us. 

**  Compare  the  list  on  pp.  49-53.  The  copy  before  me  gires  "  16  "  total.  The 
discrepancy  occnrt  in  the  case  of  Masson,  of  whose  family  nothing  appears  in 
the  former  list,  bat  who  is  here  credited  with  a  represenUtion  of  "  4  "  persons. 


!l 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  PARK  RIVER  POST,    180O-OI. 

SEPT.  4th.  Loaded  my  canoes,  and  went  along  with 
them  to  the  river,  when,  giving  all  hands  a  dram,  I 
sent  them  off.  I  remained  some  time  with  Langlois, 
directing  him  to  equip  Indians,  and  send  them  inland  as 
soon  as  possible ;  that  done,  he  was  to  make  up  a  small 
assortment  of  goods  for  Hair  hills,  and  send  Lagass^  with 
two  men  to  build  a  hut  there.  I  had  previously  settled 
with  Nanaundeyea  to  guide  them  and  point  out  the  place 
where  they  should  build.  I  had  been  given  by  him  to 
understand  that  we  should  see  some  Crees  and  Snakes,  who 
generally  hunt  opposite  this  place  in  the  hills.  But  he  tells 
me  it  is  too  early  to  go  there  now.  It  is  the  common  war 
road  of  the  Sioux  at  this  season ;  therefore,  they  should 
not  set  out  until  about  Oct.  ist,  when  he  supposes  there 
will  be  little  or  no  danger.  I  left  one  horse  with  Langlois 
for  this  purpose,  and  took  the  other  two  with  me.  Des- 
marais  rides  one,  and  I  the  other.  Owlshead  and  Ponis ' 
bid  farewell  to  all  hands,  white  and  black,  the  latter  telling 
me  that  in  a  month's  time  the  Sioux  would  dance  to  some 
of  our  scalps.  At  ten  o'clock  Desmarais  and  myself 
mounted,  and  went  after  our  canoes.  I  could  not  at  this 
time  say  how  many  Indians  were  going  with  me;  they 
appeared  mostly  inclined  to  remain.  We  came  on  to  the 
Grand  Marais,  where  we  shot  a  bull  and  some  wild  fowl, 
and  soon  overtook  my  people,  who  were  camped  on  a 
pretty  spot  at  the  Eagle's  Nest,  in  the  open  meadow  [in  the 
vicinity  of  present  Dufferin].     Our  tents  at  a  distance  had 

'  Two  names  which  have  not  appeared  before,  but  are  doubtless  synonyms  of 
two  Indians  already  listed  on  pp.  53,  54. 

78 


ON   TO  PEMBINA. 


79 


a  beautiful  effect.  It  is  not  more  than  three  leagues  in  a 
direr  line  from  where  we  started  this  morning.  The 
country  for  two  miles  from  the  river  is  overgrown  by  low 
willows.  The  course  of  the  river  is  very  crooked  ;  the  cur- 
rent is  smooth,  and  in  some  places  rather  strong,  but  there 
are  no  rapids.  The  land  on  the  E.  side  is  well  wooded  for 
a  mile  in  depth  ;  then  succeed  low  poplars  and  willows  for 
two  miles  more,  where  the  plains  commence.  This  evening 
the  following  Indians  and  their  families  camped  with  me : 
Maymiutch  ;  Crooked  Legs ;  Aupersay ;  Charlo  ;  Acegue- 
manche  ;  Liard ;  Crow ;  Little  Crane.  These  eight  men 
were  all  I  expected  to  go  with  me. 

Sept. 5th.  Early  I  sent  the  Indians  ahead  on  discoveries; 
they  had  but  one  horse  among  them.  At  nine  o'clock  I 
sent  ofT  the  canoes;  Desmarais  and  myself  proceeded  by 
land.    We  came  to  Panbian  [Pembina*]  river  and  crossed  it 


*  Henry  is  near  the  parallel  of  49?  N.  when  he  starts,  and  soon  crosses  the 
line,  passing  from  Manitoba  into  N.  Dakota  as  he  goes  up  the  W.  side  of 
Red  r.,  and  having  Minnesota  on  the  E.  In  so  doing  he  goes  through  West 
Lynn,  Man.,  opposite  which  is  Emerson,  Man.,  and  through  Huron,  N.  Dak., 
at  once ;  but  it  is  still  some  little  distance  to  Pembina,  N.  Dak.,  opposite  which 
is  St.  Vincent,  Minn.;  then  comes  the  mouth  of  Pembina  r.,  close  to  which 
4  were  Chaboillez's  and  Grant's  houses ;  and  it  is  then  a  little  way  to  the  U.  S. 
Fort  Pembina,  N.  Dak.  So  many  points  so  near  together  naturally  raise  the 
question,  where  does  the  forty-nintI\  parallel  cross  Red  r.?  The  full  answer 
would  involve  a  long  history  of  international  endeavor  to  fix  the  position  of  the 
line.  David  Thompson  was  here  Mar.  I4th-3ist,  1798,  as  the  guest  of  the  elder 
Chaboillez,  in  whose  house  he  spent  the  week  observing,  drawing,  and  writing. 
He  determined  the  position  of  the  house  to  be  lat.  48"  58'  24"  N.,  long.  97' 
16'  40"  W.  He  also  says  that  there  were  95  Chippeway  men  about  the  place, 
trading  with  the  N.  W.  Co.  and  H.  B.  Co.,  showing  thct  the  latter  had  also  a 
post  at  that  time.  Aug.  5th,  1823,  Major  Long's  party  arrived  on  the  ground,  for 
the  purpose  of  determining  and  marking  the  parallel,  some  question  concerning 
which  had  meanwhile  arisen.  He  planted  a  flagstaff  in  what  he  called  Camp 
Monroe,  in  honor  of  the  President  of  the  U.  S.,  and  its  position  was  determined 
by  repeated  observations  to  be  48'  59'  57.20"  N.  The  required  distance  to  49" 
being  measured  off,  an  oak  post  was  set  up  to  mark  the  boundary,  lettered  G.  V>. 
on  the  N.  side  and  U.  F/.  on  the  other ;  guns  were  fired,  and  the  major  pro- 
claimed the  result  with  due  ceremony.  But  in  April,  1870,  when  the  U.S. 
military  reservation  for  Fort  Pembina  was  located,  it  was  found  by  the  engineers 
in  charge  of  that  work  that  the  recognized  boundary  was  nearly  a  mile  (some 


80 


OLD  HOUSES  AT  PEMBINA. 


i: 


to  the  old  fort  which  was  built  in  1797-98  by  Mr.Chaboillez. 
Opposite  the  entrance  of  this  river,  on  the  E.  side  of  Red 
river,  are  the  remains  of  an  old  fort  built  by  Mr.  Peter 

4,700  feet)  too  far  S.  This  discovery  led  directly  to  the  establishment  of  the 
U.  S.  Northern  Boundary  Commission,  which  worked  in  1873-76  in  cooperation 
with  a  corresponding  British  Commission,  and  ran  the  line  from  the  Lake  of 
the  Woods  to  the  Rocky  mts.,  a  distance  of  about  830  <■>.  The  determination 
of  49*  on  the  Red  r.  was  made  in  187a,  and  is  still  in  force  :  see  note  **,  p.  85. 
I  well  remember  the  agitation  of  the  subject  in  June,  1873,  when  I  arrived  with 
Major  Twining  and  other  officers  at  Fort  Pembina,  then  a  well-built  and 
garrisoned  military  post,  where  we  made  our  headquarters  before  taking  the 
field  westward.  We  were  transported  from  Moorhead  in  a  steamboat  belong- 
ing  to  James  J.  Hill,  since  the  distinguished  president  of  the  G.  N.  Ry. 

Chabaillez's  house  was  built  in  1797,  the  same  year  that  he  abandoned  his 
position  on  Rat  r.;  he  wintered  here  1797-98,  but,  as  we  see,  had  left  it  in 
1800,  when  Henry  came  by.  His  post  became  known  as  Fort  Paubna,  which 
stood  on  the  S.  side  of  present  Pembina  r.,  at  or  near  its  mouth.  Grant's  earlier 
one  was  on  the  E.  side  of  Red  r.,  about  opposite,  thus  nearly  or  exactly  on  the 
site  of  present  St.  Vincent.  (Compare  May  17th,  1801,  b^ond.)  The  exact 
date  of  Grant's  house  seems  to  have  been  lost,  but  was  no  doubt  early  in  the 
'90's.  Peter  Grant  was  bom  1764 ;  he  entered  the  N.  W.  Co.  as  clerk  in  1784, 
and  became  a  partner  in  1791 ;  was  at  Lac  la  Rouge  with  one  Desmarais  in 
1789 ;  built  a  post  on  R.  la  Coquille  in  1794 ;  was  met  by  Thompson  near  Grand 
Portage,  July  aoth,  1797  ;  was  proprietor  of  the  Rainy  Lake  post  in  1799,  and 
afterward  in  charge  of  the  Red  River  department,  in  which  most  of  hb  active 
life  was  spent.  He  signed  the  Montreal  articles  of  agreement  of  Nov.  jtb, 
1804,  by  his  attys.  On  retiring  he  settled  at  St.  Anne,  Bout  de  I'lle,  and  died 
at  Lachine  in  1848.  Peter  is  to  be  distinguished  from  several  contemporaneous 
Grants  in  the  fur-trade  and  especially  from  Cuthbert  Grant.  The  latter  was 
sent  in  1786  with  one  Leroux,  by  Peter  Pond,  to  Great  Slave  1.,  to  establish  at 
or  near  the  mouth  of  Great  Slave  r.  the  post  later  called  Fort  Resolution  ;  he 
wrecked  two  canoes  and  drowned  five  men  on  Slave  r.,  at  a  place  hence  called 
Portage  des  Noy^.  He  was  at  Fort  Chipewyan  Sept.  tath,  1789,  the  day  that 
A.  McKensie  returned  there  from  the  Arctic  ocean.  He  is  named  by  D. 
Thompson  at  Grand  Portage,  July  aad,  1797,  as  agent  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  for 
"back  of  Red  River";  be  and  "Thompson  traveled  together  that  year  to  his 
post  of  1797-98,  on  the  Auiniboine,  ai  m.  below  the  Elbow,  lat.  ji*  a6'  10"  N., 
long.  101"  57'  03"  W.,  according  to  Thompson's  observations.  He  arrived  at 
Grand  Portage  again  July  3d,  1798,  and  died  in  1799,  before  Aug.  of  that  year. 
David  Giant,  who  was  in  the  N.  W.  Co.  in  1789,  or  earlier,  is  called  in  1796  an 
experienced  old  trader,  at  that  time  in  opposition  to  the  N.  W.  Co.  James  Grant 
was  clerk  and  interpreter  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  in  the  Fond  du  Lac  Department  in 
1804.  The  Grant  whom  Pike  met  on  the  upper  Mississippi  in  1805-06  is  no- 
where mentioned  by  his  first  name :  see  Pike,  ed.  1895,  pp.  133,  136,  137,  139, 


*"*<w''™V'777~l^"^"' " 


PEMBINA  RIVER  AND  MOUNTAINS. 


8i 


Grant  some  years  ago ;  this  was  the  first  establishment  [of 
the  N.  W.  Co.]  ever  built  on  Red  river. 
Panbian  river*  takes  its  rise  out  of  the  Ribbone  lakes  or 


140,  149,  144,  146.  iss,  1561  i7Si  176.  180,  184.  189,  190.  191,  a6i.  The  in. 
terval  between  Peter  Grant  and  C.  J.  B.  ChaboiUei  is  a  blank  for  Pembina  ; 
thus  Tanner  "  found  no  people,  whites  or  Indians,"  when  he  got  there  (proba- 
bly in  summer  of  1797,  though  his  dates  are  all  slippery).  To  the  foregoing 
posts  at  the  mouth  of  Pembina  r.,  add  the  one  Henry  caused  Langlois  to  build 
in  the  summer  of  1801,  on  the  N.  side :  see  May  I7th-i9th,  1801,  beyond ;  add 
the  one  the  H.  B.  Co.  stai  :  ^  to  build  on  the  E.  side  of  Red  r.,  Sept.  13th, 
1801 :  see  that  date  beyond ;  add  the  X.  V.  Co.  house  built  by  J.  Cr^bassa, 
Sept.,  1801.  After  Henry's  time,  in  the  fall  of  i8ia,  Fort  Daer  was  built  by  the 
H.  B.  Co.  on  the  N.  side  of  Pembina  r.  and  W.  side  of  Red  r.,  site  of  present 
Pembina  town,  and  named  for  Baron  Daer  (Lord  Selkirk).  In  the  spring  of 
1833  the  H.  B.  post  and  Catholic  minion  moved  down  to  Fort  Douglas ;  and 
that  summer  the  town  had  grown  up  to  about  60  cabins,  with  350  persons,  of 
whom  two-thirds  were  half'breeds,  the  rest  Swiss  and  Scotch  settlers  (Keating). 
In  1870  the  H.  B.  Co.  were  still  maintaining  an  establishment  there,  on  sup- 
posed British  soil ;  this  they  were  allowed  to  retain,  on  request  and  by  courtesy, 
pending  the  final  readjustment  of  the  boundary. 

*  The  source*  of  Pembina  r.  are  on  the  N.  and  N.  E.  slopes  of  Turtle  mt., 
W.  of  the  Pembina  mts.,  about  long.  100*.  The  lakes  of  which  Henry  speaks 
are  somewhat  further  E.  Rib  Bone  translates  F.  Placotte  correctly,  but  is 
easily  corrupted  to  Ribbon  and  even  Riband.  We  hear  of  flacotUs  when  it  is 
a  matter  of  taking  out  certain  rib  pieces  in  cutting  up  buffalo ;  and  we  observe 
that  Tanner  says,  p.  133  :  "  We  went  to  Pekaukaune  Sahkiegun,  (Buffalo  Hump 
Lake,)  two  days'  journey  from  the  head  of  Pembinah  River."  Three  of  the 
largest  of  these  lakes  are  now  called  Pelican,  Rock,  and  Swan ;  between  the 
first  two  of  these  are  two  small  ones.  Lake  Lome  and  Lake  Louise,  lately 
named  for  personages  prominent  in  Canadian  politics  and  society.  At  Swan  1., 
where  there  is  an  Indian  reserve  of  that  name,  occupying  nearly  a  town- 
ship, the  river  is  at  its  northernmost  bend.  Thence  its  general  course  is  about 
S.  E.  till  it  crosses  the  parallel  of  49^  about  10  m.  W.  of  long.  98*,  not  far 
from  a  place  called  Elkwood.  Thence  it  continues  in  North  Dakota,  running 
S.  E.  in  Cavalier  Co.,  and  then  nearly  E.  through  Pembina  Co.;  but  it  almost 
touches  49*  again  near  Gretna,  Man.,  where  a  branch  of  the  Canadiatt  Pacific 
meets  one  of  the  Great  Northern  Ry.  The  approximation  to  the  boundary  is 
closer  there,  in  fact,  than  at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  The  Pembina  has  many 
tributaries,  but  the  principal  branch  is  Tongue  r.,  which  falls  in  through  Pem- 
bina Co.  about  4  m.  up  stream  from  the  town  of  Pembina. 

Henry's  Hair  hills  are  those  now  known  as  Pembina  mts.,  though  hardly  to 
be  dignified  as  such.  They  form  for  a  long  distance  the  western  boundary  of 
the  valley  of  the  Red  r.,  and  to  the  same  extent  represent  the  eastern  edge  of 
the  prairie  plateau  which  stretches  t     ice  westward  to  the  Coteau  of  the  Mis- 


83 


PEMBINA  RIVER  AND   MOUNTAINS. 


Lacs  du  Placotte,  a  chain  of  lakes  running  about  E.  S.  E. 
on  the  W.  side  of  the  Hair  hills.     Its  first  course  is  about 


II 


•ouri,  though  they  are  for  the  most  part  well  wooded.  The  eastern  acclivity  of 
the  range  is  greatest  about  lat.  49*  N.,  on  and  near  the  boundary  of  the  U.  S., 
whence  it  gradually  subsides  into  rolling  prairie,  both  N.  and  S.  of  that  parallel. 
It  is  difficult  to  say  how  long  and  broad  these  hills  are,  from  their  extreme 
irregularity  and  very  gradual  sloping  in  all  directions,  as  well  as  the  elasticity 
of  the  name  as  used  by  different  persons  ;  but  the  Hair  hills  or  Pembin* 
mts.,  more  properly  so  called,  lie  nearly  N.  and  S.,  mainly  in  the  Dakotan 
counties  of  Nelson,  Grand  Forks,  Walsh,  Cavalier,  and  Pembina,  and  extend 
thence  into  the  district  of  Lisgar  in  Manitoba.  Pembina  r.  is  a  large  stream 
which  traverses  a  gorge  eastward  to  seek  the  Red  r. ,  running  N.  first  in  Mani- 
toba and  then  in  N.  Dak.,  and  falling  in  close  to  the  boundary.  Scratching 
r.  takes  a  similar  course  in  Manitoba,  further  N. ,  while  in  Dakota  the  principal 
other  streams  which  flow  eastward  into  Red  r.  from  these  elevations,  suc- 
cessively from  N.  to  S.,  are  Park  r.,  Salt  r.,  Turtle  r.,  and  Goose  r.  Pembina 
r.  enters  Red  r.  in  Pembina  Co.,  N.  Dak.,  2  m.  S.  of  49°,  between  the  town 
of  Pembina  and  Fort  Pembina  ;  4  m.  above  its  mouth  it  receives  Tongue  r. ,  its 
principal  tributary,  coming  from  the  S.  W.  Henry  traversed  his  Hair  hills 
repeatedly,  in  various  directions,  and  has  much  to  say  about  them,  during  his 
residence  at  different  places  in  the  Red  River  dept.  His  use  of  the  term 
is  broad  enough  to  cover  not  only  the  Pembina  mts.  in  strictneu,  but  all 
the  elevated  country  on  the  W.  of  the  Red  River  basin.  He  seldom,  if  ever, 
uses  the  name  Pemjina  in  any  form  for  these  hills;  but  consistently  applies  it 
to  the  river  in  the  forms  Panbian  and  Paubian,  occasionally  Pambian  or  Petit' 
bian,  very  rarely  PaHbina,  etc.  The  word,  which  occurs  in  various  other  forms, 
as  Paubna,  etc.,  is  clipped  from  the  Ojibway  name  of  a  certain  acid  red  berry, 
the  fruit  of  Viburnum  opulus.  This  is  a  caprifoliaceous  plant,  commonly 
called  cranberry-tree,  or  high  cranberry-bush;  the  varieties  which  produce  the 
edible  berries  have  been  named  V.  oxycotcus  and  V.  tduU ;  a  cultivated  sterile 
variety  is  the  well-known  snowball-bush  or  guelder-rose.  This  plant  is  not 
related  botanically  to  the  true  cranberries  ( Vatcimum  oxyeoccus  and  V.  maero- 
earfon).  The  b  in  the  name  Pembina  is  intrusive,  for  the  word  is  anepemi- 
nan,  from  nefin,  summer,  and  minan,  berry,  or,  at  others  say,  nipi-mina. 
Tanner,  who  could  not  talk  English  when  he  was  on  Red  r.  in  Henr/s  time, 
but  spoke  a  sort  of  Ojibway,  probably  of  the  Court  Oreille  or  Ottawa  dialect, 
says,  p.  80 :  "  at  this  place,  (since  called  Pembinah,)  where  the  Nebenninakne- 
sebet  enters  Red  River,"  etc.;  his  editor,  Dr.  James,  translates  this  High 
Craneberry  r.,  and  renders  Red  r.  from  Miskwawgumme-wesebee.  Keating's 
Long,  II.  1824,  p.  4a,  has:  "a  small  stream,  called  by  the  Chippewas 
Aneptminan  sipi."  Larocque's  Mandan  journal,  1804-05,  in  Maason,  I.  1889, 
has  Pain  Binatat,  p.  313,  and  Pimbina  elsewhere.  In  1798  Tiiompson 
Englished  the  name  a:.  Summer  Berry  r.  The  fruit  itself  is  still  so  odled. 
The  accent  of  the  word  Pembina  is  on  the  first  syllable. 


TONGUE  RIVER— A   FALSE  ALARM. 


83 


Eh 


£.  for  many  leagues.  The  valley  through  which  it  runs  is 
about  two  miles  broad,  bounded  by  high  hills  which  are 
practically  wooded.  It  then  bends  S.  E.  for  about  the  same 
distance,  when  it  turns  E.  and  enters  the  great  level  plains, 
where  its  banks  are  well  lined  with  large  wood,  to  its  junc- 
tion with  Red  river,  after  the  confluence  of  Tongue  river, 
which  comes  from  the  S.  W.  This  takes  its  waters  from 
several  branches  that  are  supplied  by  small  lakes  on  the 
Hi«*r  hills ;  the  streams  join  about  two  leagues  before  they 
empty  into  Red  river. 

We  had  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  strong  wood*  to  pass 
through  on  either  side  of  Panbian  river  to  reach  the  plains. 
Having  seen  my  canoes  pass  at  this  place,  we  proceeded 
through  a  narrow  winding  path  to  the  open  country,  when 
suddenly  we  heard  the  neighing  of  a  horse,  apparently  in 
pursuit  of  us.  Desmarais  and  myself  instantly  held  a 
council.  Who  could  it  be?  Our  Indians  had  but  one 
horse  and  he  was  gone  ahead ;  we  had  seen  his  tracks 
where  he  had  crossed  the  little  river.  It  must  be  the 
Sioux — there  was  no  time  to  lose !  We  turned  off  from 
the  path  a  few  paces  and  took  our  stand  behind  some  large 
oaka,  where  we  primed  our  guns  and  remained  in  suspense. 
But  in  a  few  moments  we  perceived  Aupersay  coming  on 
Crow's  mare.  This  was  an  agreeable  surprise.  He  had 
chased  a  herd  of  red  deer  t>n  the  S.  side  of  Panbian  river, 
where  he  took  to  the  woods  in  pursuit  of  them  and  crossed 
the  river ;  but  killed  none.  He  came  down  upon  the  N. 
side  to  lock  for  us,  and  observing  where  we  had  crossed  had 
followed  us.  We  three  went  on  together,  and  soon  over- 
took  the  Indians,  who  were  approaching  a  herd  of  cows. 
Bulls  were  so  numerous  that,  though  we  passed  them  at 
about  100  paces,  they  did  not  run,  but  only  turned  to  stare 
at  us.    For  three  miles  beyond  Panbian  river  the  ground  is 

*  A  phrue  of  frequent  recurrence  in  Henry,  tnuulating  F.  hoit  fort,  or  Mi 
forts,  which  he  also  uses.  It  means  thick  woods,  or,  as  we  should  say,  heavy 
timber.  Some  bands  of  Indians  living  in  wooded  country  are  distinguished  from 
others  by  the  same  term. 


fc.  — . 


TWO  RIVERS—IMPROMPTU   BULL  FIGHT. 


Ill 


overgrown  with  willows,  which  are  twitted  and  torn  up  by 
red  deer  in  many  places.  We  saw  several  droves  at  the  end 
of  these  willows.  We  then  came  upon  a  level  plain,  with  no 
woods  whatever  except  what  lined  Red  river,  which  stretched 
ahead  of  us  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  To  the  N.  W. 
appeared  a  few  spots  of  wood  on  the  banks  of  Tongue  river. 
We  came  to  two  small  lakes,  which  were  covered  with 
swans,  geese,  and  ducks  of  various  kinds ;  white  and  gray 
cranes  were  also  numerous.  We  next  passed  opposite  Two 
Rivers,*  where  I  thought  proper  to  wait  for  mycanoes, 
whilst  the  Indians  went  hunting  red  deer,  which,  being  now 
in  the  rutting  season,  are  heard  in  every  direction  except- 
ing toward  the  plains. 

I  desired  Desmarais  to  order  my  people  to  camp  here, 
whilst  I  went  on  horseback  with  Crow  to  chase  a  bull  we 
saw  near  at  hand.  But  he  declined,  saying  his  horse  was 
too  weak.  I  pursued  the  bull  alone.  Just  as  I  came  up  to 
him  at  full  speed  and  prepared  to  fire,  my  horse  suddenly 
stopped,  '''he  bull  had  turned  about  to  face  my  horse, 
which  was  naturally  afraid  of  bufTaloes  and  startled  at  such 
a  frightful  object ;  he  leaped  to  one  side  to  avoid  the  bull. 
As  I  was  not  prepared  for  this  I  was  pitched  over  his  head, 
and  fell  within  a  few  yards  of  the  bull's  nose ;  but  fortu- 
nately for  me  he  paid  no  more  attention  to  my  horse  than 
to  me.  The  grass  was  long  and  I  lay  quiet  until  a  favorable 
opportunity  offered  as  he  presented  his  placotte.     I  dis- 

*  Present  name  of  a  stream  in  Kittson  Co.,  Minn.,  so  called  because  its  two 
main  courses  unite  but  little  above  its  entrance  into  Red  r.  The  county  seat, 
Hallock,  is  on  the  largest  stream,  as  are  other  places,  named  Haileton,  Percy, 
Pelan,  and  Greenbush;  on  the  other  fork  is  Northcote.  The  G.  N.  Ry.  crosses 
both  branches  at  Hallock  and  Northcote  respectively,  between  Kennedy  and 
Fairview.  There  is  no  named  place  at  the  mouth  of  Two  Rivers;  but  opposite 
it,  at  a  little  distance,  is  Joliette,  on  the  N.  P.  R.  R.  Hallock  was  founded  a  few 
years  ago  by  my  friend  Charles  Hallock,  Esq.,  formerly  of  New  York,  as  a  sort 
of  sportsman's  resort.  Mr.  Hallock  and  I  were  fellow  travelers  in  Labrador  in 
l8te.  He  established  Forest  and  Stream  in  New  York  in  1873,  and  long 
edited  that  still  flourishing  weekly.  He  is  the  author  of  the  Sportsman's  Gaz- 
etteer and  many  other  writings,  and  when  I  last  heard  from  him,  in  189S1  ^** 
living  at  Moorhead,  N.  C:  see  Pike,  ed.  1895,  p.  3a6. 


TWO  RIVERS— ANOTHER  FALSE  ALARM. 


85 


charged  both  barrels  of  my  double  gun  at  him ;  he  turned 
and  made  one  plunge  toward  me,  but  had  not  time  to 
repeat  it  before  he  fell,  with  his  nose  not  more  than  three 
paces  off.  I  must  acknowledge  he  gave  me  a  fright.  My 
horse  had  gone  at  full  speed  in  search  of  Crow's  mare.  I 
returned  to  Desmarais  on  foot.  Crow  had  gone  hunting 
red  deer. 

At  five  o'clock  the  canoes  arrived  and  camped.  My  men 
told  me  they  had  seen  a  great  many  red  deer  and  bears 
crossing  the  river ;  large  herds  were  seen  at  every  turn  of 
the  river.  The  Indians  on  board  the  canoes  killed  four 
otters  [Lutra  canadensis]  and  three  beavers.  They  com- 
plained of  my  men  making  so  much  noise  all  day  that  it 
prevented  them  from  killing  bears  and  other  large  animals. 
This  evening  the  huntdrs  returned,  having  killed  four  biches 
and  one  bull,  all  extremely  fat. 

Two  Rivers,  opposite  which  we  are  camped,  derives  its 
name  from  the  circumstance  of  dividing  about  three  miles 
from  its  mouth  into  two  forks,  each  of  which  after  its 
separation  takes  a  contrary  course,  one  southward  and  the 
other  northward ;  these  forks  are  again  divided  into  many 
other  smaller  branches,  which  con)e  from  a  considerable 
distance,  and  take  their  waters  out  of  large  marshes  W.  of 
•  Lac  des  Boisv  Near  the  entrance  of  this  river  is  an  exceU 
lent  salt  pit. 

Sept.  6th.  The  Indians  set  out  early,  going  ahead  by 
land  to  hunt.  At  nine  o'clock  the  canoes  got  oil.  I  soon 
followed  on  horseback,  but  had  not  gone  over  two  leagues 
when  I  found  the  Indians  waiting  for  me.  They  had  killed 
four  bears  and  eight  red  deer.  While  I  waited  for  my 
canoes  the  Indians  began  to  talk  about  liquor. 

At  one  o'clock  the  canoes  arrived  and  gave  us  a  momen- 
tary  alert  [alarm,  by]  saying  they  had  seen  fresh  horse 
dung  below  the  points,  where  two  horses  had  drunk  yester- 
day. The  fellows  were  in  such  a  hurry  to  tell  me  this  news 
that  they  did  not  properly  describe  the  place,  but  gave  us 
wrong  information.     It  made  all  hands  very  uneasy,  when 


86 


CONTINUALLY  ON  THE  ALERT. 


Ill 


t% 


!  J 


iV'' 


the  Indians  said  they  would  go  no  further.  But  on  further 
inquiry  I  found  it  was  Crow's  mare  and  my  horse  that  had 
occasioned  the  alarm.  I  wished  to  prevail  upon  the  Indians 
to  proceed,  but  in  vain.  Their  excuse  was  that  they  wished 
to  kill  a  few  bears  to  make  oil,  and  procure  some  red  deer 
skins.  They  told  me  if  I  would  give  them  some  liquor  for 
the  meat  they  had  given  me  they  would  remain  here  four 
days  only,  and  would  then  follow  me  as  far  as  Park  river ; 
but  if  I  passed  that  place  they  would,  all  return  below. 
Observing  this  to  be  their  settled  plan,  I  gave  them  half  a 
keg  of  mixed  liquor  and  some  tobacco,  telling  them  I  would 
go  ahead  to  look  out  for  a  proper  place  to  build  a  fort.  I 
then  sent  off  the  canoes.  The  Indians  again  told  me  that 
if  I  went  higher  up  than  Park  river  they  were  determined 
to  return,  as  they  would  not  risk  their  families  to  follow  me 
any  further  than  that  into  the  Sioux  country.  We  followed 
our  canoes,  leaving  the  Indians  to  enjoy  their  liquor.  We 
had  not  gone,  over  a  mile  when  we  saw  some  people  run- 
ning afoot  in  the  plains.  On  perceiving  us  they  seemed  to 
hide  in  the  long  grass  and  only  show  their  heads  as  if  to 
examine  our  motions.  Desmarais  and  myself  were  at  a 
loss  how  to  act.  I  was  uneasy  about  my  canoes,  and  to 
return  to  the  Indians  without  being  fully  satisfied  would 
not  answer.  We  therefore  had  but  one  way  to  act.  We 
knew  our  horses  were  good  runners  and  long-winded,  and 
the  people  we  saw  were  on  foot.  We  primed  our  guns  and 
advanced  toward  them  at  full  gallop;  they  kept  their 
ground.  We  soon  observed  they  wore  hats,  which  was  a 
pleasant  sight.  We  came  up  to  them  and  found  they  were 
some  of  our  men  busy  digging  young  wolves  out  of  their 
holes.  They  had  seen  a  large  drove  on  the  beach  and 
pursued  them  for  a  joke.  I  desired  the  men  to  embark 
and  proceed  with  all  possible  dispatch  to  the  Bois  Perci. 
Desmarais  and  myself  went  ahead,  determined  to  have  no 
more  false  alarms.  On  approaching  the  Bois  Perc£  we 
found  immense  herds  of  buffalo,  which  appeared  to  touch 
the  river  and  extend  westward  on  the  plains  as  far  as  the 


BUFFALO  AT   BOIS  PERC£— BEAR  KILLED. 


87 


eye  could  reach.  The  meadows  were  alive  with  them.  On 
the  E.  side  of  the  river  we  now  for  the  first  time  saw 
buffaloes ;  they  appeared  to  be  fully  as  many  as  there  were 
on  the  W.  side.  This  is  the  first  place  we  have  found  in 
coming  up  the  river  where  the  plain  on  that  side  comes 
down  to  the  water  and  forms  an  open  communication  with 
that  of  the  W.  side.  It  is  from  this  circumstance  that  this 
spot  derives  its  name  of  Bois  Perc^. 

As  we  did  not  wish  to  raise  the  buffalo,  we  tied  our 
horses  on  the  spot  where  I  wished  my  people  to  camp. 
Desmarais  and  I  went  after  buffalo;  we  soon  crawled 
within  gunshot,  and  each  opened  fire  in  turn,  keeping  our- 
selves concealed  as  much  as  possible  in  the  long  grass.  At 
every  shot  they  would  start,  but  did  not  appear  inclined 
to  run  off.  We  both  emptied  our  powder  horns,  and  by 
that  time  several  cows  were  down.  Having  no  more  ammu> 
nition  we  went  to  dress  our  cows ;  but  the  herd  started  and 
with  them  all  our  wounded  cows — not  one  remained  on  the 
spot.  We  were  mortified  to  have  fired  so  many  shots  to  no 
purpose.  We  came  back  to  where  we  had  left  our  horses, 
and  found  the  canoes  had  just  arrived. 

Whilst  we  were  arranging  camp  I  saw  a  bear  on  the  E. 
side  of  the  river,  a  little  above  us,  coming  down  to  drink. 
I  crossed  over  and  followed  him  ;  he  soon  stopped  within 
a  few  paces  and  ran  up  a  large  oak.  I  shot  him  between 
the  shoulders  and  he  fell  to  the  ground  like  a  log,  but  in  a 
moment  was  scampering  away  as  fast  as  he  could.  I  traced 
him  by  the  blood  and  soon  found  him  sitting  under  a  brush- 
heap,  grumbling  and  licking  his  wounds.  A  second  shot 
dispatched  him.  By  the  hideous  scream  he  uttered  when 
he  fell  from  the  tree  I  imagined  he  was  coming  at  me,  and 
was  waiting  for  him  with  my  second  barrel  cocked  when  he 
ran  off.  I  went  for  my  two  men,  and  it  was  hard  work  for 
us  three  to  draw  him  to  the  canoe ;  he  was  very  fat.  I 
found  that  my  first  ball  had  gone  through  his  heart.  I 
was  surprised  that  he  should  have  been  so  active  after  a 
wound  of  that  kind. 


88       VOYAGE  CONTINUED   IN  DREAD  OF  THE  SIOUX. 


The  ground  along  the  river  is  worn  down  by  the  buffalo* 
especially  at  every  bend  of  the  river  westward,  where  the 
plains  run  down  to  the  water,  and  where  the  herds  come 
day  and  night  to  drink,  returning  to  the  plains  to  feed. 
The  Bois  Perc6,  near  which  we  are  camped,  has  been  a  great 
crossing-place  for  many  years.  The  ground  on  both  sides 
is  worn  as  smooth  as  a  pavement,  and  the  number  of  roads 
at  the  crossing,  some  of  which  are  a  foot  deep,  is  really 
surprising.  Considering  the  hard  sod  through  which  these 
tracks  are  beaten,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  form  any  idea  how 
many  herds  must  have  passed.  My  people  saw  many  rac- 
coons in  the  course  of  the  day,  and  shot  four. 

Sunday,  Sept.  ph. .'  At  nine  o'clock  sharp  I  sent  off  the 
canoes.  The  river  makes  a  bend  to  the  W.  for  some  miles, 
when  it  resumes  its  southern  direction.  The  river  is  deep, 
as  at  the  forks,  and  the  current  is  not  very  strong;  no 
stones  are  to  be  seen.  Desmarais  and  myself  kept  on  ahead 
of  the  canoes.  We  saw  buffalo  in  abundance,  but  did  not 
disturb  them,  having  plenty  of  fresh  meat.  At  twelve 
o'clock  we  waited  for  the  canoes;  they  arrived  in  three 
hours,  when  it  began  to  rain,  and  we  camped. 

They  had  difficulty  in  coming  up  some  shallow  places, 
where  the  channels  were  narrow  and  difficult  to  find 
amongst  the  lumps  of  clay.  Our  situation  not  being 
proper  for  defense,  and  the  rain  coming  on,  I  sent  off  the 
canoes,  whilst  Desmarais  and  myself  went  on  ahead.  We 
found  a  young  bull  with  a  broken  leg.  We  killed  him  to 
examine  the  wound  and  found  he  had  been  shot  with  ball 
in  two  places ;  this  made  us  rather  uneasy.  For  the  first 
time  I  perceived  that  Desmarais  feared  the  Sioux  were  at 
hand.  However,  we  determined  to  say  nothing  about  this 
affair  to  the  men,  who  were  getting  very  uneasy  and  wished 
me  to  pitch  upon  a  place  to  build  a  fort.  We  came  on 
about  three  miles  and  waited  for  the  canoes.  Here  we  saw 
another  wounded  bull,  which  increased  our  anxiety.  The 
buffalo,  however,  appeared  to  be  quiet.  Whilst  we  waited 
for  the  canoes,  several  herds  on  the  E.  side  came  down  to 


PARK   RIVER  REACHED. 


iing 
the 
We 
to 
I  ball 
(first 
at 
Ithis 
ihed 
on 


drink.  We  observed,  also,  on  the  opposite  beach  no  fewer 
than  seven  bears  drinking,  all  at  the  same  time.  The  red 
deer  were  whistling  in  every  direction,  but  our  minds  were 
not  sufficiently  at  ease  to  enjoy  our  situation.  A  large 
white  wolf,  prowling  rather  imprudently,  came  within  a  few 
yards  of  us,  and  I  shot  him  dead.  When  thf.  canoes 
arrived  the  men  swore  they  had  seen  horse  tracks  along  the 
shore,  but  I  did  not  believe  them,  as  I  supposed  it  to  be 
buffalo  tracks.  Desmarais  and  myself  nearly  made  the" 
same  mistake.  On  arrival  at  the  Bois  Percd  yesterday  we 
found  the  fresh  track,  as  we  supposed,  of  a  horse  along  the 
beach,  where  the  ground  was  too  hard  for  the  print  of  the 
hoof  to  penetrate ;  we  followed  it  for  some  distance,  per- 
suaded it  was  a  horse  track,  till,  coming  to  a  soft  spot,  we 
perceived  the  cleft  prints  of  a  buffalo's  hoofs.  About  dusk 
it  began  to  rain  hard,  and  continued  through  the  night.  I 
had  great  difficulty  to  keep  my  horse  from  going  back  in 
search  of  Crow's  mare ;  he  is  a  headstrong,  powerful  beast, 
and  requires  a  strong  double  codline  to  hold  him. 

Sept.  8th.  The  rain  ceased,  but  the  wind  continued 
strong  and  cold.  At  eight  o'clock  I  sent  the  canoes  off ; 
Desmarais  and  myself  went  on  horseback.  The  buffaloes 
were  all  in  motion,  crossing  from  E.  to  W.  side  of  the  river, 
and  directing  their  course  toward  the  Hair  hills  as  fast  as 
they  could  walk.  We  chased  several  herds,  and  had  fine 
sport,  but  killed  only  two  fine  fat  cows.  We  each  carried 
a  small  load  of  meat  down  to  the  river,  for  the  canoes  to 
take  as  they  passed  by.  Here  I  lost  one  of  my  spurs.  We 
determined  to  run  buffalo  no  more,  as  it  might  be  the 
means  of  our  discovery  by  the  Sioux.  Having  hung  up 
the  meat  in  a  tree  near  the  river,  we  set  out,  and  did  not 
stop  until  we  reached  Park  river,*  at  two  o'clock.     Here  we 

*Park  r.,  orig.  R.  aux  Pares  of  the  F.,  arises  by  many  headwaters  in  the 
elevated  lands  which  continue  S.  from  the  Pembina  mts.,  draining  S.  E.  and 
then  E.  into  the  Red  r.  Some  of  its  upper  waters  are  in  Cavalier  and  Pem- 
bina COS.,  N.  Dak. ;  but  most  of  these,  and  the  whole  of  the  main  stream  which 
they  compose,  run  in  Walsh  Co.,  and  empty  about  the  S.  E.  section  of  the  N. 


:i  rM 


90 


PARK  RIVER  EXAMINED. 


found  a  wounded  bull,  which  I  killed  to  examine.  The 
wound  was  occasioned  by  a  ball  not  many  days  past.  Des- 
marais  said  it  had  been  done  by  an  arrow.  We  tied  our 
horses  at  the  entrance  of  this  little  [Park]  river,  and 
searched  for  a  proper  spot  to  build,  as  I  saw  it  was  useless 
for  me  to  attempt  going  further.  I  was  well  assured  the 
Indians  would  not  follow  me.  My  men  began  to  murmur 
very  much  ;  even  Desmarais,  who  is  a  veteran,  and  one  of 
the  first  who  ever  came  up  this  river,  seriously  advised  me 
to  think  about  building.  We  v.'ent  up  [Park]  river  about  a 
mile,  when  we  fell  in  with  two  large  harts  ;  we  killed  one, 
and  wounded  the  other,  but  did  not  go  after  him.  Took 
off  the  skin  and  cutAip  the  meat ;  the  fat  was  four  inches 
thick  upon  the  rump.  Being  very  thirsty,  we  attempted  to 
drink  at  the  river,  but  found  the  water  a  perfect  brine. 
Having  put  our  meat  in  safety  for  the  night,  and  discov- 
ered this  salt-water  [Park]  river,  which  is  the  first  I  have 
seen  in  this  country,  and  on  which  I  saw  it  would  be 
impossible  to  build,  even  were  the  woods  proper,  we 
returned  to  our  horses,  and,  as  night  was  approaching, 
deferred  our  search  until  to-morrow.  The  entrance  of  this 
river  is  frequented  by  buffalo,  red  deer,  moose,  and  bears ; 
Indeed,  it  appears  that  the  higher  we  go,  the  more 
numerous  are  red  deer  and  bears.  On  the  beach  raccdon 
tracks  are  plentiful.    Wolves  are  numerous  and  insolent. 

About  dark  the  canoes  arrived,  the  men  fatigued  and  in 
bad  humor.  They  had  again  seen  a  wounded  buffalo  on  the 
£.  side  of  Red  river,  and  a  bunch  of  leaves  laid  upon  the 
shore  where  some  person  had  drank.    This  had  given  them 

E.  township  of  this  county.  Tvo  o.'  tb^  principal  tributaries  are  South  and 
Middle  forks ;  a  third  is  called  Cart  cr. ;  this  is  joined  by  the  N.  fork  ;  the 
stream  resulting  from  the  confluence  of  Cart  cr.  with  the  Middle  fork  is  joined 
by  the  South  fork,  a  short  distance  above  Grafton,  county  seat  of  Walsh,  which 
is  situated  on  the  main  Park  r.,  about  I3  m.  in  an  air-line  W.  of  Red  r.  In 
coming  to  this  place  from  Two  Rivers,  Henry  has  passed  Pittsburgh  and  Dray- 
ton, N.  Dak.,  both  on  the  river,  and  the  latter  on  the  N.  P.  R.  R.;  and  has 
passed  successively  opp.  Mattson,  Teien,  and  Robbin,  Minn.,  but  has  not 
come  as  far  as  opp.  the  mouth  of  Snake  r.,  which  runs  in  Marshall  Co.,  Minn. 


SITE  OF  PARK  RIVER  POST  SELECTED. 


91 


'a   from 
level   plain 


a  serious  alarm,  and  had  I  not  told  them  this  morning  that 
I  should  stop  here,  I  believe  they  would  have  returned. 
They  had  met  with  some  shallow  places,  and  had  trouble 
to  find  their  passage  amongst  the  lumps  of  clay.  They 
had  seen  a  great  number  of  sturgeon  at  those  shallow 
places,  and  had  killed  one  with  my  ax,  which  made  us  a 
good  supper. 

Sept.  gth.  Early  this  morning  I  sent  four  men  for  the 
meat,  who  soon  returned  with  it  on  their  backs.  I  went  in 
search  of  a  proper  place  to  build.  I  found  none  so  well 
situated  for  defense,  with  timber  at  hand,  as  a  point  of 
wood  on  the  W.  side,  about  a  quarter  of  a 
the  entrance  of  Park  river,  with  a  beautiful 
intervening.  I  should  have  preferred  to  build  at  the 
entrance,  but  there  was  no  wood  on  the  one  side,  and  the 
land  was  too  low  on  the  other.  We  also  examined  the 
E.  side  of  Red  river,  but  there  the  land  was  low,  subject  to 
overflow  in  the  spring,  with  no  wood  but  very  large  elms 
and  oaks,  too  heavy  for  the  men  to  stir. 

This  being  settled,  the  canoes  drifted  down  to  the  place 
I  had  chosen.  Our  first  work  was  to  unload  and  carry  our 
baggages  and  canoes  up  the  hill,  which  is  about  30  feet 
high.  We  then  arranged  camp  in  the  best  order  possible 
for  defense,  and  made  a  suitable  stage  near  by,  to  hold  fresh 
meat,  etc.  I  opened  a  case' of  ironworks  [hardware]  ;  gave 
each  man  a  large  ax  to  put  in  order,  and  then  a  dram  of 
high  wine.  I  then  trenched  out  the  spot  for  our  fort,  which 
I  wished  to  make  as  compact  as  possible. 

At  four  o'clock  a  herd  of  buffalo  came  down  to  drink, 
very  near  camp.  I  sent  Desmarais  to  fire  at  them ;  he 
did  so,  but  only  wounded  one  cow ;  he  came  for  his  horse 
to  chase  her,  as  she  had  left  the  herd  and  was  running 
alone  ;  I  saddled  mine  also,  and  went  with  him ;  we  soon 
overtook  and  killed  her.  While  he  was  cutting  her  up, 
I  went  after  a  wounded  bull  which  I  saw  not  far  off. 
Havinof  shot  him,  I  found  his  wound  was  not  more  than  a 
few  days  old.     His  leg  had  been  badly  broken,  which  con. 


92 


BRAVE  SENTRIES  ON  GUARD  AGAINST  SIOUX. 


vinced  me  that  it  happened  not  far  from  this  place,  as  he 
could  scarcely  walk.  On  returning  I  observed  southward 
herds  of  buffalo,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  all  running  at 
full  speed  nearly  toward  us,  but  inclining  to  the  open  plain. 
Desmarais  informed  me  that  when  he  fired  at  the  herd 
that  was  drinking,  he  saw  a  herd  pass  out  in  the  plain  in 
the  same  direction,  and  at  full  speed.  We  did  not  know 
what  to  think  of  this;  certainly  they  must  have  been 
started,  or  even  pursued  by  some  people ;  otherwise  they 
would  not  have  run  so  far.  Wolves  sometimes  start  them, 
but  then  they  run  no  great  distance.  They  continued  to 
run  until  we  lost  sight  of  them  ;  this  made  us  very  uneasy. 
We  took  up  our  flesh  and  reached  camp  about  dark. 

I  had  seen  on  our  way  home  a  large  flock  of  swans 
[O/or  columbianus]  rise  out  of  Red  river,  about  a  mile  above 
camp,  apparently  in  a  state  of  alarm  and  confusion.  As 
soon  as  we  had  unloaded  and  fettered  our  horses,  I 
broke  open  our  gun  cases  and  gave  each  man  a  gun,  with 
some  powder  and  ball.  I  then  sent  for  three  of  my  bravest 
men,  told  them  what  -  we  had  seen,  and  that  I  appre- 
hended danger.  But  I  did  not  wish  them  to  mention  it, 
and  desired  them  to  take  their  blankets  and  guns  and  keep 
watch  during  the  night  at  particular  places,  which  I  pointed 
out.  During  the  conversation,  two  of  my  brave  fellows 
turned  pale,  and  their  lips  began  to  quiver  with  fear ;  but 
as  it  would  have  been  of  no  use  to  choose  others,  I  sta- 
tioned them  at  their  posts,  with  orders  to  wake  us  upon 
the  least  noise.  Having  seen  everything  in  order  for 
defense  and  our  fire  put  out,  I  lay  down  in  my  cloak. 
About  midnight  one  of  my  sentries  awoke  Desmarais,  say- 
ing he  had  seen  a  band  of  Sioux  pass  through  the  woods  on 
horseback.  Desmarais,  suspecting  the  fellow  of  cowardice, 
told  him  to  be  quiet  and  show  him  where  they  had  passed. 
He  found  it  was  my  horse,  which  had  strayed  past  this  fel- 
low, who  lay  asleep,  and,  perceiving  the  white  blanket,  had 
stopped  and  begun  to  snort  as  the  man  awoke,  when,  seeing 
the  blanket  move,  he  had  run  away  as  fast  as  his  fetters 


BUILDING  BEGUN. 


93 


would  permit,  prancing  and  snorting.  All  was  quiet  again 
till  another  alarm  was  given  by  a  man  not  on  guard.  He 
awoke  me,  saying  he  had  heard  a  great  noise  in  the  plains, 
as  if  a  number  of  horsemen  were  coming.  I  desired  him 
to  make  no  noise,  while  I  went  with  him  to  the  entrance  of 
the  woods,  not  more  than  lOO  paces  from  my  tent.  There 
we  had  listened  bqt  a  short  time,  when  a  large  herd  of  buf> 
falo  came  rushing  down  to  the  river  to  drink.  This  cleared 
up  the  second  alarm.  Everything  was  quiet  during  the  rest 
of  the  night,  except  the  bellowing  of  buffaloes  in  every 
direction  and  the  whistling  of  red  deer.  • 

Sept.  loth.  All  hands  were  up  early,  and,  having  cracked 
some  jokes  at  the  expense  of  the  brave  sentry,  I  gave  them 
all  a  dram  and  set  them  at  work  to  build  a  storehouse,  to 
get  the  goods  under  cover  as  soon  as  possible.  Some  were 
employed  chopping  logs,  others  cutting  hay  to  cover,  and 
others  making  wooden  shovels.  We  have  no  other  wood 
for  building  but  oak. 

This  afternoon  Crow  arrived  on  horseback,  having  left 
the  Indians  at  the  Bois  Perc6  ;  they  were  coming  up  slowly. 
He  was  happy  to  find  us  building,  and  tells  me  I  shall  take 
out  some  good  packs  of  beaver.  We  saw  a  band  of  red 
deer  cross  the  river  a  little  below  camp,  and  soon  four  large 
black  bears  crossed.  Desmarais  went  after  them,  but  to  no 
purpose. 

Park  river,  near  which  we  are  settled,  derives  its  name 
from  the  fact  that  the  Assiniboines  once  made  a  park  or 
pound  on  this  river  for  buffalo.  It  receives  its  waters  from 
a  lai^e  lake  and  marshes  in  the  Hair  hills,  which  come 
down  in  three  branches  [present  South  fork,  Middle  fork, 
and  Cart  creek]  to  within  about  15  miles  of  Red  river, 
in  a  dire-^t  line,  where  they  join  nearly  at  the  same  spot  to 
form  one  stream,  which  is  here  fine,  clear  water,  with  a 
sandy  bottom.  A  few  miles  lower  down  is  a  lake  three 
miles  in  circumference,  which  lies  200  paces  from  this  river, 
on  the  N.  side.  This  lake  is  an  entire  salt  pit,  which 
empties  into  Park  river  by  a  deep,  narrow  channel ;  this  con- 


(II 

1:1 


94 


OAK  OBSERVATORY— STOREHOUSE. 


taminates  the  water,  and  even  the  soil,  which  is  soft  mud 
and  clay,  through  which  buffalo  can  scarcely  make  their  way. 
The  water  is  thick  and  muddy  until  it  empties  into  Red 
river ;  its  banks  are  almost  level  with  the  plain,  and  but  par> 
tially  wooded.  Between  this  and  Panbian  river  Is  one  con- 
tinual level  plain,  where  not  the  least  hillock  nor  wood  of 
any  kind  is  to  be  seen.  The  country  southward  appears  to 
be  the  same  as  that  we  have  already  passed  through. 

Sept.  nth.  I  climbed  up  a  tall  oak,  which  I  had  trimmed 
for  that  purpose,  at  the  entrance  of  the  plain,  from  the  top 
of  which  I  had  an  extensive  view  of  the  country.  Buffalo 
and  red  deer  were  everywhere  in  sight,  passing  to  and  fro. 
The  weather  being  perfectly  serene,  I  could  distinguish  the 
Hair  hills  on  the  W.,  though  they  were  scarcely  percep- 
tible— nothing  more  than  a  blue  stripe,  running  N.  and  S. 
The  interval  is  a  level  meadow,  with  nothing  to  attract  the 
eye  but  the  winding  course  of  Park  river,  whose  wood  is  lost 
to  the  sight  long  before  it  reaches  the  hills.  The  distance 
may  be  between  I2  and  15  leagues. 

At  ten  o'clock  Crow  arrived  on  the  only  horse  the  Indians 
have.  He  informed  me  that  last  summer,  when  they  went 
to  war,  they  passed  along  the  Hair  hills,  and  that  exactly 
opposite  us,  on  the  Middle  branch  of  Park  river,  and  at 
the  foot  of  the  hills,  they  fell  upon  a  large  camp  of  the 
enemy,  where  it  appeared  they  had  been  tented  a  long  time, 
and  had  dried  vast  quantities  of  buffalo  flesh,  but  ha 
decamped  about  20  days  before.  This  afternoon  Charlo 
and  family  arrived  on  foot.  He  wanted  liquor  for  four  bear- 
skins, but  I  would  give  him  none  until  all  the  Indians 
arrived,  when  I  proposed  t  •>  sell  them  liquor  for  what  few 
skins  and  provisions  they  might  have ;  as  giving  them  rum 
for  nothing  was  out  of  the  question.  I  had  already  given 
them  as  much  as  they  deserved,  and  for  the  future,  if  they 
wanted  liquor,  they  must  expect  to  pay  for  it. 

This  afternoon  my  storehouse  was  finished;  I  imme- 
diately put  ever;^hing  into  it,  and  a  padlock  on  the  door. 
I  now  desired  each  man  to  cut  50  oak  stockades  12  feet 


FEAR  AN  EXCELLENT  OVERSEER. 


9$ 


long,  and  carry  them  to  the  spot  where  I  proposed 
erecting  the  fort.  Maymiutch,  Liard,  and  Aceguemanche 
arrived  and  camped  ;  they  had  killed  12  bears.  Crow,  who 
had  gone  hunting,  returned,  having  killed  two  bears.  I 
shot  a  wolf  that  was  passing  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  and  killed  him  dead.  My  double-barre'ed  gun  is 
an  excellent  piece.  BuflSiloes  come  down  to  drink,  both 
day  and  night,  near  our  camp ;  we  seldom  molest  them, 
but  allow  them  to  return  in  quiet.  The  Indians  this  even- 
ing loaded  our  stage  with  bears'  fat  and  choice  meat.  This 
would  have  been  a  glorious  time  for  my  men,  had  not  dread 
of  the  Sioux  deprived  them  of  their  appetite  and  made 
them  only  anxious  to  finish  the  fort. 

Sept.  1 2th.  The  Indians  left  early  to  hunt  and  make  dis- 
coveries above.  My  men  were  hard  at  work  cutting  and 
carrying  the  stockades.  It  required  the  full  strength  of 
two  men  to  carry  one  log  at  a  time  on  their  shoulders,  and 
though  the  distance  was  only  about  200  paces,  this  was 
laborious,  and  soon  took  the  skin  off.  Fear  was  an  excel- 
lent overseer,  and  the  work  went  on  with  expedition.  At 
twelve  o'clock  the  rest  of  the  Indian  families  arrived,  and 
soon  after  the  hunters  returned,  having  been  up  about 
four  leagues  to  Salt  river,*  where  they  saw  no  sign  of  an 
enemy ;  they  had  killed  four  bears.  I  supposed  they  might 
now  drink  in  safety,  and  therefore  began  to  trade  rum; 
they  were  all  soon  drunk,  men,  women,  and  even  some 
of  the  children.  I  settled  with  Little  Crane  to  hunt  for 
me.  I  promised  that  if  he  would  behave  well,  and  kill  as 
many  animals  as  I  might  require  for  the  season,  I  would 

^  Salt  or  Big  Salt  r.  is  a  stream  quite  like  Park  r.,  on  the  same  side  of  Red  r., 
and  next  above  or  S.  of  Park  r.,  with  which  its  course  is  approx.  parallel ; 
but  it  is  smaller.  It  rises  in  the  same  continuation  of  the  Pembina  mts., 
and  runs  chiefly  in  Walsh  Co. ;  but  some  of  the  courses  of  the  Middle  and 
South  fork  run  a  little  in  Nekon  Co.,  while  most  of  the  South  fork,  and  much 
of  the  main  stream  below  the  junctions  of  all  the  forks,  are  in  Grand  Fork 
Co.;  the  mouth  is  in  Walsh  Co.,  only  some  8  m.  above  the  mouth  of  Park  r., 
and  about  3  m.  above  the  town  of  Acton.  Big  Salt  r.  must  be  distinguished 
from  several  lesser  ones  of  like  name  and  similar  alkaline  character. 


96 


DRUNKEN   LAMBS— LAMBLIKE  DISCIPLINE. 


:! 


:i<i 


i.fi. 
if 


'i't 


pay  him  60  skins,  furnish  a  p;un,  and  ammunition,  and  give 
a  clothing  to  himself  and  his  wife. 

Sept.  ijt/i.  The  Indians  still  drunk,  but  I  would  give 
them  no  more  rum.  They  fell  asleep  soon  after  I  rrtfused 
them.  This  small  band  are  lambs  in  compartiion  with  the 
scoundrels  I  left  at  Reed  river.  I  have  little  trouble,  with 
them,  as  they  are  not  unreasonable.  Several  men  are 
plagued  by  a  breaking  out  upon  the  skin,  attended  with 
intolerable  itching.  I  gave  them  high  wine  and  gunpow- 
der to  rub  themselves  with,  which  appeared  to  ease  them 
and  dry  up  the  sores.  This  evening  I  settled  a  plan  with 
Maymiutch  for  future  operations,  as  he  apprehended  no 
danger  from  the  enemy  at  present,  the  season  being 
advanced  when  the  Sioux  resort  to  St.  Peter's  river  [the 
Minnesota]  to  see  their  traders.  He  told  me  the  Indians 
would  go  up  Red  river  a  few  miles  where  there  were  bears 
and  beaver  cabins,  and  plenty  of  other  animals ;  there  they 
would  remain  some  time  and  do  for  the  best.  Some  of  the 
women  said  they  had  heard  a  shot  fired,  to  the  southward, 
but  we  put  no  faith  in  it.  Tekegonaibick  was  disappointed 
in  receiving  her  payment,  by  the  appearance  of  Waque> 
gante,*  who  drove  her  home  with  a  cudgel. 

*  Same  person  at  Waquetoe,  No.  26  of  list  on  p.  54.  This  identification  is 
curiously  confirmed  by  a  passage  in  Tanner,  p.  98 :  "  We  met  with  an  old 
Ottawwaw  chief,  called  Wagetotahgun,  (he  that  has  a  bell,)  more  commonly 
called  Wagetoat.  He  was  a  relative  of  Netnokwa,"  etc.  Here  we  have  two 
pairs  of  names,  the  correspondence  of  which  can  hardly  be  accidental,  and 
I  have  no  doubt  they  are  the  same,  in  different  dialects  and  with  phonetic  varia- 
tion in  the  rendering. 

This  leads  me  to  remark  upon  the  extremely  interesting  and  historically  im- 
portant relation  between  Henry  and  Tanner  which  has  dawned  on  me  by 
degrees  in  studying  the  two  narrators.  Tanner's  Narrative  has  been  since  1830 
one  of  our  stock  stories  of  Indian  captivity  and  subsequent  Indianiring  of 
a  white  man.  Tanner  was  stolen  from  the  Ohio  at  the  mouth  of  the  Big 
Miami,  by  Shawnees,  in  the  spring  of  1789,  when  he  was  about  nine  years  old. 
In  a  couple  of  years  he  was  transferred  to  an  Ottawa  band,  and  adopted  by  old 
Netnokwa,  who  thus  became  his  "  mother."  In  the  same  vicarious  manner  he 
acquired  numerous  relatives  in  the  band,  and  became  as  wild  an  Indian  as  any 
of  them.  During  all  the  years  that  Henry  spent  on  the  Red  r.,  Tanner  was 
roaming  the  same  region  as  one  of  the  very  Indians  with  whom  Henry  traded. 


JOHN  tanner's  narrative  NOTED. 


vr 


Sunday,  Sept.  tph.  The  men  began  early  to  plant  the 
stockades,  the  women  went  for  meat,  and  some  of  the 
Indians  killed  four  bears.  They  say  they  heard  two  shots 
fired  above  us.  I  wanted  them  to  go  and  discover,  but 
they  declined,  saying  they  we'e  fatigued.  Desmarais  went 
out,  and  did  not  return  until  late ;  he  saw  no  enemy. 

Stpt.  isth.  I  equipped  my  hunter  with  clcthing  for  him- 
self and  his  wife,  and  then  gave  out  to  the  Indians  their 
necessaries  for  debts  to  the  amount  of  20  skins  each,  and 
an  assortment  of  small  articles  gratis,  such  as  one  scalper, 
two  folders,  and  four  flints  apiece  to  the  men,  and  to  the 
women  two  awls,  three  needles,  one  seine  of  net  thread, 
one  fine  steel,  a  little  vermilion,  and  half  a  fathom  of 
tobacco.     My  hunter  killed  a  large  bear  near  camp ;  when 

Tanner  mention*  Henry  repeatedly,  by  name  ;  and  even  alludes  to  his  subse- 
quent death  by  drowning  in  the  Columbia,  p.  68.  Tanner's  "  M*Gilveray," 
p.  69,  is  McGillivray.  Tanner's  "  Shabboyea,"  p.  69,  is  C.  J.  B.  Chaboillez. 
Tanner's  "  M'Kee,"  p.  94.  and  "  M'Kie."  p.  133,  is  Mr.  McKay.  Tanner's 
"  M 'Glees,"  p.  96,  is  Hugh  McGilUs.  As  for  the  Indians  whom  Heniy  names, 
Tanner  knew  most  of  them  personally.  We  have  already  identified  Henry's 
•odomist,  or  berdash,  son  of  Wiscoup,  or  Le  Sucre,  with  Tanner's  agokwa, 
son  of  Weshkobug,  the  Sweet :  see  note  ",  p.  53.  Tanner  has  much  to  say  of 
Chief  Tabushshah  :  compare  Chief  Tabashaw,  No.  a  of  Henry's  list.  Tanner, 
p.  135,  has  Ahketoons,  the  Little  Caribou  :  compare  Petit  Caribou,  No.  34  of 
Henry's  list.  Tanner,  p.  77,  has  Wahgekaut  or  Crooked  Legs:  compare 
Henry's  Jambes  Croches  or  Crooked  Legs,  No.  33  of  the  list.  Tanner  has 
much  to  say  of  Aisainse  or  Little  Clam,  and  notes  his  death,  p.  180 ;  this  is  no 
other  than  Petit  Coquille  or  Little  Shell,  No.  9  of  Henry's  list.  Tanner, 
p.  109,  speaks  of  "  Wawzhekwawmaishkoon,  whom  I  called  my  brother"; 
this  seems  to  be  the  same  name,  if  it  be  not  the  same  Indian,  as  Henry's 
No.  14,  Aceguemanche.  Tanner  has  many  incidents,  chiefly  brawls  and 
murders,  or  fights  with  Sioux,  identical  with  those  Henry  gives.  In  fine, 
TaHntt*s  Narrative  is  the  Indian  tide  of  the  story  told  in  Henrys  Journal  for 
the  Red  River  region — Henry  is  Tanntr's  palimpsest ;  and  thus  do  they  serve 
to  check,  corroborate,  illustrate,  and  amplify  each  other. 

The  great  trouble  with  Tanner  has  always  been  his  lack  of  dates.  There  is 
not  a  single  complete  date  in  the  first  959  pages  of  Dr.  James*  book.  On 
p.  ate,  however,  we  get  some  reck'>ning  of  the  years  ;  and  in  various  places  we 
can  check  Tanner,  as  by  his  reference  to  Lewis  and  Clark,  1804-05  ;  to  the 
war  of  1812-14,  etc.  Taking  one  thing  with  another,  by  internal  evidence — 
such  as  Tanner's  alternation  of  the  seasons,  his  sugar-making,  his  starving 
winters  and  traveling  or  fighting  summers,  and  the  like,  and  especially  the  new 


98 


INDIANS  ONLY  HALF  DRUNK  TO-DAY. 


!i 


lUv 


"^- 


f 


\k 


!i^ 


I  instantly  lent  for  it ;  the  hunter,  returning  with  the  men, 
killed  another>  and  Maymiulch  killed  four  more.  Deima- 
rais  this  evening  went  to  seine  with  the  men  in  two  small 
canoes.  They  caught  one  sturgeon,  two  catfish,  six  brim, 
and  a  number  of  other  small  fish.  Bulls  continued  near 
camp,  but  the  cows  kept  at  a  distance.  The  Indians,  pro- 
posing to  embark  to-morrow,  were  gumming  their  canoes. 

S*pt.  i6th.  I  sent  the  men  for  the  bears  they  killed  yes- 
terday ;  they  returned  at  nine  o'clock,  and  the  Indians  soon 
decamped.  I  gave  them  one  keg  of  mixed  rum  to  encour- 
age them  to  hunt  and  pay  their  debts.  I  treated  my  men 
also  to  a  dram,  as  they  had  labored  hard.  I  sent  my  hunter 
in  his  small  canoe  to  hunt  above,  with  orders  to  bring 
down  the  meat  himself,  as  I  found  it  too  troublesome  to 
send  my  people  daily  for  meat.  The  Indians  having 
camped  not  many  miles  above  us,  some  of  them  returned 
half  drunk,  and  plagued  me  for  liquor.  I  purchased  three 
trained  dogs  for  three  quarts  of  mixed  liquor.  They 
remained  all  night,  and  never  ceased  to  tease  us. 

Sept.  tyth.  Early  this  morning  I  sent  three  men  for  a 
bear  that  one  of  the  lads  shot  yesterday;  they  returned 
soon.  I  once  more  got  all  the  Indians  off  to  their  camps. 
One  of  our  horses  is  missing.    I  have  employed  Indians 

light  thrown  on  hit  (tory  by  Henry— I  finO  it  pouible  to  construct  a  Tanner 
dironology  to  accurately  that  we  are  leldoi.  -  tingle  year  out  of  the  way. 
I  find  that  Tanner  tells  a  straight,  coherent  and  consecutive  story,  which  can 
now  for  the  first  time  be  shown  up  in  its  proper  historical  penpective,  for  all 
the  period  of  Henry's  residence  in  the  Red  River  region.  Tanner's  memory 
must  have  been  prodigiously  tenacious  for  events  and  incidents  of  his  own  life, 
r  he  never  could  have  told  Dr.  James  such  a  story  in  after  years,  when  he  had 
o-.'v  gradually  come  into  his  white  man's  mind's  estate  after  its  Indianisation 
since  'ihildhood.  Tanner  slips  mainly  when  he  tries  to  adjust  to  his  personal 
history  affairs  in  which  he  was  not  directly  concerned.  For  example  :  p.  3i6, 
he  speaks  of  the  murder  of  "  a  Mr.  M'Donald,  or  M'Dolland,"  governor,  etc. 
But  this  w»:s  Governor  Miles  McDonnell,  who  was  never  murdered.  Tanner 
was  thinking  of  the  killing  of  Governor  Semple  ;  yet  the  circumstances  of  the 
affair  he  gives  a.  those  of  the  murder  of  Owen  Keveny,  for  which  Charles 
de  Reinhard  was  convicted  and  condemned  to  death  at  Quebec  in  1818. 
Tanner's  Ottawa  name  was  Shawshawwabenase,  translated  Falcon  ;  and  in  the 
present  work  he  will  figure  anew  as  one  of  Henry's  Indian  customers  i 


MOKE   BUFFALO  THAN   EVER. 


and  my  own  men  to  look  for  him  since  the  1 5th,  but  he 
cannot  be  found.  Buffaloes  continue  very  numerous ;  from 
the  top  of  my  oak,  or  laddf  r,  1  counted  1 5  herds. 

My  men  were  employed  in  cutting  up  and  melting  bears' 
fat,  which  we  pour  into  red  deer  skins  and  wooden  troughs ; 
but  we  have  collected  such  a  quantity  that  we  can  find  no 
place  to  store  it,  and  the  weather  being  sultry  great  quan< 
titles  spoil.  THe  raw  fat  will  not  keep  many  days,  particu- 
larly  when  the  weather  is  sultry,  soon  turning  rancid ;  but 
when  melted  down  and  properly  taken  care  of,  it  will  keep 
good  and  sweet  at  any  season. 

Sept,  i8th.  I  took  my  usual  morning  view  from  the  top 
of  my  oak  and  saw  more  buffaloes  than  ever.  They  formed 
one  body,  commencing  about  half  a  mile  from  camp,  whence 
the  plain  was  covered  on  the  W.  side  of  the  river  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach.  They  were  moving  southward  slowly, 
and  the  meadow  seemed  as  if  in  motion.  Desmarais  went 
below  to  look  for  his  horse.  At  ten  o'clock  part  of  the 
women  returned  to  camp,  informing  me  that  their  husbands 
had  altered  their  minds  and  intended  to  go  up  Red  river. 
They  had  taken  their  bear-traps  on  their  backs  and  pro- 
ceeded S.  W.  toward  the  Hair  hills,  to  a  place  where  they 
had  seen  beaver  last  summer  when  they  went  to  war.  This 
was  a  dangerous  undertaking,  of  which  neither  I  nor  they 
approved.  They  had  sent  me  word  to  take  care  of  their 
families,  as  they  would  bring  me  beaver  or  lose  their 
heads. 

This  afternoon  I  rode  a  few  miles  up  Park  river.  The 
few  spots  of  wood  along  it  have  been  ravaged  by  buffaloes ; 
none  but  the  large  trees  are  standing,  the  bark  of  which  is 
rubbed  perfectly  smooth,  and  heaps  of  wool  and  hair  lie  at 
the  foot  of  the  trees.  The  small  wood  and  brush  are 
entirely  destroyed,  and  even  the  grass  is  not  permitted  to 
grow  in  the  points  of  wood.  The  bare  ground  is  more 
trampled  by  these  cattle  than  the  gate  of  a  farm-yard. 
This  is  a  delightful  country,  and,  were  it  not  for  perpetual 
wars,  the  natives  might  be  the  happiest  people  upon  earth. 


100 


DESMARAIS  AND  OTHER  EMPLOYEES. 


'ri 


hi 


I  returned  at  sunset,  4iaving  shot  a  fat  cow,  the  choice 
pieces  of  which  I  brought  in.  I  also  killed  four  bulls,  only 
the  tongues  of  which  I  took.  Desmarais  did  not  return 
until  late ;  he  could  not  find  his  horse,  and  had  ceased  to 
look  for  him,  but  killed  two  large  cows. 

Sfpt  igth,  I  sent  men  for  the  cows  that  Desmarais  had 
killed;  they  returned  with  one,  the  other  having  been 
devoured  by  wolves.  This  afternoon  we  were  obliged  to 
throw  away  great  quantities  of  bear,  biche,  and  buffalo 
meat,  for  in  hot  weather  it  soon  spoils. 

My  servant  [Desmarais]  is  such  a  careless,  indolent  fellow 
that  I  cannot  trust  the  storehouse  to  his  care.  I  made 
to-day  a  complete  overhaul,  and  found  everything  in  the 
greatest  confusion ;  I  had  no  idea  matters  were  so  bad  as  I 
found  them.  I  shall  for  the  future  take  charge  myself  and 
find  other  work  for  him.  Like  most  of  his  countrymen,  he 
is  much  more  interested  for  himself  than  for  his  employer, 
though  he  has  a  good  salary  for  his  abilities,  which  are  not 
extraordinary,  further  than  as  interpreter.  He  is  allowed 
£\QO  per  annum,  Halifax  currency,  which  is  two-thirds 
more  than  he  deserves. 

Sept.  20th.  At  daybreak  I  awoke  my  men  to  begin  work ; 
but  they  assembled  around  the  fire  and  each  began  to  relate 
his  discoveries.  This  discourse  brought  up  other  matters 
of  their  own,  and  what  with  cutting  tobacco  and  smoking 
the  sun  was  high  before  they  thought  about  their  work.  I 
was  therefore  obliged  to  reprimand  them  for  their  indolence, 
and  remind  them  of  our  defenseless  situation  in  case  the 
Sioux  should  fall  upon  us.  This  had  the  desired  effect; 
they  labored  with  redoubled  ardor,  and  our  work  went  on 
with  great  dispatch.  At  noon  two  Indians  came  from 
above  to  ask  me  to  send  a  large  canoe  for  what  they  had 
collected  at  their  tents.*    They  informed  me  they  had  killed 

*  The  Indians  had  no  tents,  properly  so  called ;  Henry  means  the  huts,  or 
whatever  shelter  they  made  for  themselves  where  they  were  camped :  compare 
his  use  of  cabin,  note  **,  p.  71.  In  a  still  more  general  sense,  tent  was  used  of 
any  abiding  place  or  resort,  and  sometimes  even  as  name  of  a  locality ;  e.g.. 


WORK  PROGRESSING — BEARS  NUMEROUS. 


lOI 


tee, 
the 
|ect ; 
on 
rom 
Ihad 
tiled 

or 
(ipare 
bd  of 


forty  bears,  some  red  deer,  moose,  and  a  few  beavers  and 
raccoons.  This  afternoon  the  men  finished  planting  the 
stockades  and  hung  the  gatfes,  so  we  are  in-  a  position  to 
defend  ourselves,  and  might  defy  several  hundred  Sioux. 
The  Indian  lad  killed  two  bears. 

Sunday,  Sept.  21st.  The  men  began  to  fell  trees  for  our 
dwelling-houses.  It  was  at  their  own  option  to  work  this 
day  or  not ;  their  excuse  is  the  necessity  of  forwarding  their 
work  as  fast  as  possible  to  get  under  cover  before  cold 
weather.  They  are  but  few,  badly  provided  with  axes,  and 
have  much  work  still  to  do,  cutting  firewood,  etc.  I  sent 
Desmarais  and  another  man  in  a  large  canoe  to  the  Indians' 
tent  above,  with  nine  gallons  of  mixed  liquor  for  them. 
He  returned  with  a  canoe-load  of  bear's  oil,  fat,  meat, 
skins,  etc.  He  says  the  beach  is  covered  with  bear's  fat 
where  the  Indians  are  tented,  the  women  being  too  lazy  to 
melt  and  preserve  it  in  red  deer  skins. 

Sept.  22d.  Maymiutch  informed  me  this  morning  of  a 
great  smoke  E.  S.  E.  from  us  toward  Red  lake,  which  he 
supposed  was  occasioned  by  Indians.  I  proposed  to  send 
him  to  inform  them  of  our  situation,  but  he  declined  tQ 
go  at  present,  supposing  them  too  distant.  I  gave  him 
a  few  pounds  of  flour  and  sugar  for  his  children  and  sent 
him  home.  There  being  nothing  but  oaks  here,  I  sent  two 
men  up  river  to  raft  down  our  flooring  of  bois  blanc.  Stur- 
geon continued  to  jump  day  and  night.  We  saw  five  bears. 
Desmarais  and  myself  crossed  over  and  pursued  them.  We 
had  a  long  chase  and  repeatedly  sighted  them,  but  they  es- 
caped us  in  the  brush.  On  our  return  we  found  a  latge  one 
lying  dead,  which  we  supposed  must  have  been  wounded  by 
the  Indians  some  time  ago.  He  was  swelled  up  and  ready 
to  burst.  Bears  make  prodigious  ravages  in  the  brush  and 
willows ;  the  plum  trees  are  torn  to  pieces,  and  every  tree 
that  bears  fruit  has  shared  the  same  fate ;  the  tops  of  the 
oaks  are  also  very  roughly  handled,  broken,  and  torn  down, 

Lege  des  Bceufs,  a  place  where  buffaloes  were  wont  to  stay,  would  be  trans- 
laUble  Buffalo  Tent. 


<t 


i 


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t 
1:: 


r 


ii 


f' 


f 


I02 


THE  SITUATION  NOW  COMFORTABLE. 


to  get  the  acorns.  The  havoc  they  commit  is  astonishing ; 
their  dung  lies  about  in  the  woods  as  plentiful  as  that  of 
the  buffalo  in  the  meadow. 

Sept.  2jd.  Last  night  great  numbers  of  swans  and  geese 
passed,  flying  S.,  and  this  morning  they  continued.  The 
weather  was  cold,  with  a  strong  N.  wind.  A  woman  with 
two  children  from  the  Indian  camp  said  they  saw  two  Sioux 
not  far  from  us,  but  we  supposed  it  to  have  been  two  red 
drer.  At  ten  o'clock  I  went  out  on  a  discovery  with  Des- 
marais  on  horseback,  he  having  found  Crow's  mare.  We 
cautiously  approached  the  spot  where  we  had  been  told  the 
two  men  had  been  seen,  but  could  perceive  nothing.  We 
then  directed  our  course  to  the  salt  lake  near  Park  river, 
where  we  found  bulls  in  abundance  licking  up  the  salt  on 
the  beach  and  drinking  the  water.  We  shot  three,  and  only 
took  their  tongues ;  I  also  killed  a  raccoon  and  two  geese. 
It  was  dark  before  we  got  back;  my  people  had  been 
uneasy  about  us,  and  were  overjoyed  when  they  heard  us 
hallo. 

Sep/.  24.th.  The  stench  about  camp  being  so  great  from 
the  quantities  of  flesh  and  fat  thrown  away  since  our  arrival, 
and  the  bastions  of  my  tent  being  complete,  with  a  flooring 
about  nine  feet  from  the  ground,  I  caused  it  to  be  pitched 
up  in  the  S.  W.  bastion,  on  this  flooring.  Here,  from 
the  door  of  my  tent,  I  could  see  everything  that  went  on, 
both  within  and  without  the  stockade,  and  also  had  a  fine 
view  of  the  country  around  us.  I  cut  down  a  number  of 
small  oaks,  which  intercepted  the  full  view  of  the  plains. 
My  men  also  pitched  their  tents  inside  the  stc  ckade,  and  we 
determined  to  be  regular  in  shutting  the  gatr^s  at  night. 
Our  situation  appeared  very  comfortable  and  my  people  be- 
gan to  enjoy  their  kettle  more  than  heretofore.  Crooked 
Legs  and  my  hunter  returned  with  three  bears.  My  people 
went  out  to  seine,  and  soon  came  back  with  a  sturgeon, 
three  catfish,  eight  brim,  four  achegan,  five  dor^,  three 
pike,  and  a  few  lacaishe. 

Sept.  25th.    I  sent  my  hunter  out  with  his  wife  in  a  small 


SOME  FRESH  ALERTS. 


103 


it  on, 
fine 
|>er  of 
ains. 

nd  we 

night, 
e  be- 
oked 

leople 
geon, 
three 

small 


canoe.  One  of  my  men  got  an  ugly  cut  in  the  leg  vith  an 
ax.  I  shot  a  large  fat  heron  [Ardea  herodias]  which  my 
men  prefer  to  bear  meat.  Wind,  N.  E.,  wild  fowl  passing 
in  abundance ;  the  leaves  are  falling,  having  turned  yellow 
a  few  days  ago.  My  hunter  returned,  having  killed  a  bear 
and  some  wild  fowl.  I  took  a  ride  northward,  but  saw  only 
two  bulls  and  three  bears,  on  the  E.  side  of  Red  river.  No 
buffalo  to  be  seen  on  the  W.  side ;  they  appear  to  have 
gone  toward  the  Hair  hills. 

Sept.  26th.  I  went  en  foot  to  shoot  wild  fowl  along  the 
river  below.  I  saw  a  large  she  bear  with  two  cubs  on 
the  E.  side,  but  it  would  have  been  of  no  use  to  fire  at 
them ;  a  shot  might  have  hit  one,  but  I  had  no  way  to 
cross.  I  saw  also  a  fisher  \Mustela  pennanti]  on  the  same 
side,  but  returned  with  only  a  few  ducks  and  pheasants 
[Bonasa  utnbellus].  My  hunter  had  killed  a  red  deer; 
Crooked  Legs,  a  bear ;  and  Desmarais,  four  geese. 

Sept.  2yth.  An  Indian  came  in  early  from  the  Salt  River 
camp,  and  informed  me  they  had  been  alarmed  and  were  all 
gone  on  discoveries.  One  of  them  positively  said  he  saw  a 
man,  who  hid  in  the  grass  and  willows.  Another  said  he 
found  the  spot  on  the  beach  where  a  person  had  laid  grass 
and  sticks  on  the  mud  un  purpose  to  drink,  the  prints  of  the 
hands  being  very  plain.  It  appeared  to  them  this  must  have 
been  done  by  :  stranger.  We  awaited  with  anxiety  the  re- 
sult of  this  affair.  Toward  evening  we  saw  Crow's  family 
coming  round  the  point ;  they  camped  with  us.  They  said 
they  heard  firing  to  the  S.,  and  Aceguemanche  insisted  that 
he  had  seen  a  man  in  the  grass  with  a  gun,  who  ran  away 
•  and  disappeared  in  the  woods.  They  plagued  me  a  long 
time  for  liquor,  but  I  would  give  them  none.  This  alert 
will  injure  my  returns,  as  the  Indians  had  found  some 
beavers'  cabins  and  were  preparing  to  hunt  when  they  got 
alarmed.  We  had  a  hard  frost  last  night;  the  water  in 
our  kettles  this  morning  had  a  covering  of  ice  about  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  thick. 

Sunday^  Sept.  28th.    The  Indians  paid  their  debts  this 


;i 


104 


ANOTHER  DRINKING-BOUT  BEGUN. 


I'l'  ;. 


morning  and  wished  to  have  liquor,  but  I  was  determined 
they  should  have  none  until  the  two  beavei  hunters  who 
went  to  the  hills  returned.  The  men  are  making  chim- 
neys ;  but,  having  no  stone,  we  are  obliged  to  build  them 
of  clay ;  it  is  not  of  a  very  good  kind  for  the  purpose,  being 
a  coarse  black  mud,  which,  having  no  consistency,  cracks 
and  falls  to  pieces  on  drying.  On  digging  a  hole  eight  feet 
deep,  in  hopes  of  finding  clay,  we  uncovered  the  carcass 
of  a  buffalo,  about  40  feet  from  the  level  of  the  river,  on  a 
bank  covered  with  oak.  At  ten  o'clock  Aupersay  went  out 
to  hunt  buffalo  with  Crow's  mare,  but  seeing  two  men 
coming  m  he  S.  W.,  he  returned  at  full  speed  to  give 
the  alarr  All  hands  flew  to  arms,  and  the  tops  of  the 
trees  were  soon  filled  with  people.  We  soon  observed  the 
strangers  to  be  the  two  hunters.  Crow  and  Charlo,  each 
with  a  good  pack  of  beaver.  They  gave  me  their  skins, 
telling  me  they  were  thirsty,  and  wanted  a  drink  of  my 
milk  to  refresh  them  and  give  them  a  good  taste  for  a 
smoke.  They  informed  us  they  had  been  on  the  Hair 
hills,  but  had  seen  no  tracks  of  the  enemy.  Thev  had  seen 
several  dead  buffalo,  and  some  with  broken  legs,  or  other- 
wise wounded  ;  in  particular,  a  cow  with  a  broken  back, 
which  could  not  walk.  The  wound  appeared  fresh,  and  to 
have  been  made  by  a  ball.  They  had  found  plenty 
of  beaver  at  the  hills,  but  would  not  kill  more  than 
they  could  carry  on  their  backs.  They  traded  for 
liquor,  and  all  began  to  drink,  men  and  women.  At  two 
o'clock  the  wind  came  from  the  S.,  and  brought  a  thick 
smoke,  which  must  have  come  from  the  enemy.  The  In- 
dians grew  more  than  usually  troublesome.  I  quarreled 
with  Maymiutch,  and  took  his  gun  away.  Crooked  Legs' 
old  wife  came  to  inform  me  secretly  that  during  the  night 
she  had  seen  a  Sioux  at  the  door  of  all  the  Indians'  tents, 
who  peeped  in,  and  counted  the  number  of  men  in  each, 
and  then  retired.  I  wished  to  laugh  her  out  of  her  story, 
but  she  insisted  upon  it.  I  suppose  this  old  woman  had  a 
dream,  and  believed  ft  to   have   been   a   (act ;   they  are 


tU: 


CROOKED  LEGS  STABS  HIS  YOUNG  AVIFE. 


105 


remarkably  superstitious.  I  let  the  children  sleep  in  the 
fort  whilst  the  men  and  women  were  drinking  in  their 
tents.  About  midnight  I  heard  one  of  them  chopping  the 
gate  with  an  ax,  and  bawling  out  to  let  him  in,  as  he 
wanted  liquor.  Desmarais  took  the  ax  from  him,  and  told 
him  if  he  cut  the  gate  again  he  might  depend  upon  receiv- 
ing a  sound  beating.  These  people  are  not  accustomed  to 
traders  who  have  their  houses  stockaded  ;  it  is  only  of  late 
years  they  have  seen  anything  of  the  kind.  Having  been 
accustomed  from  infancy  to  full  liberty  of  going  in  and 
out,  day  or  night,  and  being  naturally  of  a  haughty,  impe- 
rious disposition,  the  fellows  cannot  bear  to  knock  at  a  gate 
that  does  not  open  at  their  command. 

Sept.  2gtk.  The  Indians  continued  drinking.  About 
ten  o'clock  I  was  informed  that  old  Crooked  Legs  had 
killed  his  young  wife.  I  instantly  sent  Desmarais  to 
inquire  into  the  business.  He  soon  returned,  and  told  me 
she  was  not  dead,  but  had  received  three  dreadful  stabs. 
I  went  to  see  her;  she  was  stretched  at  full  length  in 
Crow's  tent,  with  her  relations  around  her,  bawling  and 
crying ;  they  were  all  blind  drunk.  The  old  man  had 
retired  to  his  own  tent,  where  he  sat  singing  and  saying  he 
was  not  afraid  to  die.  We  examined  the  wounds,  and 
found  the  worst  one  just  under  the  shoulder-blade  ;  another 
was  through  the  arm,  and  the  third  where  the  knife  had 
glanced  /rom  the  elbow  and  entered  the  side  between  two 
ribs.  At  every  motion  of  the  lung  the  blood  gushed  out 
of  the  first  and  last  wounds.  I  really  thought  she  had  not 
many  minutes  to  live  ;  and,  therefore,  left  her  to  the  care 
of  her  own  people,  who  were  sucking  the  blood  out  of  the 
wounds.  ^laving  done  this  for  some  time,  they  applied 
some  roots  and  leaves ;  she  soon  after  fell  asleep.  The 
cause  of  the  quarrel  was  jealousy.  She  was  a  stout,  strong 
young  woman,  and  he  a  poor  infirm  old  man,  very  small 
and  lean.  He  had  reproached  her  for  infidelity,  and  even 
threatened  her  with  death  if  she  continued  to  misbehave. 
She  was  wicked  and  full  of  resentment  against  the  old  man. 


io6 


ETHICS  OF  HOMICIDE. 


>l'''  [ 


wh  .-)m  she  always  despised  and  detested.  She  thought  this 
a  I  ivorable  opportunity  to  be  revenged,  and,  taking  up  a 
long  stick,  she  gave  him  a  blow  on  the  head,  which  laid 
him  senseless ;  then  she  ran  off  and  hid  in  Crow's  tent ;  as 
soon  as  h .  recovered  he  took  his  knife,  and  went  for  her ; 
having  found  her,  without  any  further  quarrel  or  ceremony, 
he  took  her  by  the  left  arm,  drew  his  knife,  and  began  to  stab, 
her.  He  would  have  continued  the  blows,  had  not  some  of 
the  women  taken  the  knife  from  him.  I  thought  it  ex- 
traordinary that  she  did  not  attempt  to  defend  herself,  but 
was  told  she  made  no  resistance  or  attempt  to  get  away 
from  him,  which  she  easily  could  have  done,  but  allowed 
herself  to  be  butchered,  although  she  was  but  little  intoxi- 
cated. I  have  frequently  observed  this  to  be  the  case  with 
these  people.  When  they  conceive  themselves  to  have 
been  revenged,  they  are  careless  as  to  consequences,  and  in 
a  manner  have  no  sense  of  fear.  Even  when  death  seems 
certain,  they  scorn  to  avoid  it ;  but  should  the  assailant  fail 
in  his  undertaking,  he  may  rest  assured  the  consequences 
will  be  fatal  to  hiin  some  day.  I  attribute  to  this  impulse 
of  ferocity  the  many  instances  I  have  witnessed  in  which  an 
Indian,  having  failed  in  a  premeditated  murder,  and  being 
well  aware  of  the  consequences,  will  injure  or  kill  all  who 
come  in  his  way,  until  his  passion  is  satisfied,  when  he  will 
suddenly  throw  down  his  arms  and  give  himself  up  to  the 
judgment  of  the  camp.  Sitting  with  his  head  between  his 
legs,  he  will  allow  even  a  child  or  an  old  woman  to  dispatch 
him,  without  saying  one  word  in  his  own  defense.  If  lenity 
is  shown  him  he  afterward  becomes  a  mean  devil,  and  in 
almost  every  drinking-bout  will  do  some  black  deed  until 
he  receives  his  death-blow;  this  happens  generally  very 
soon,  but  sometimes  immediately — particularly  should  he 
not  belong  to  the  clan  [totem].  I  had  trouble  in  preventing 
the  Indians  from  killing  old  Crooked  Legs.  Even  his  son 
seemed  anxious  to  dispatch  him.  We  took  all  their  arms 
from  them,  and  when  at  last  I  got  them  quiet,  they  prom- 
ised to  respite  the  old  man  until  the  woman  was  dead,  when 


AN  OBJECT  OF  SUSPICION. 


107 


they  would  oertainly  kill  him.  During  all  this  bustle  he  sat 
in  his  tent  singing  and  saying  he  was  not  afraid  to  die ;  he 
had  not  even  a  kniie  "'ilh  which  to  defend  himself.  At 
four  o'clock  the  wounded  woman  awoke.  Her  friends 
insisted  upon  her  drinking  with  them,  telling  her  it  would 
do  her  good ;  she  accordingly  did  so  and  was  drunk  all 
night. 

Toward  evening  I  took  my  gun  and  went  out  for  a  walk 
in  the  meadow  to  evade  the  Indians,  as  they  were  drunk 
and  troublesome.  On  turning  about  I  perc^'  ed  at  some 
distance,  in  a  low  piece  of  ground,  something  like  a  bear 
moving  in  the  long  grass,  along  the  river  on  the  plain 
between  my  fort  and  Park  river.  I  had  no  doubt  it  was  a 
bear,  and,  being  close  to  the  bank,  I  ran  down  opposite  to 
where  I  supposed  it  would  pass.  Having  crawled  to  the 
bank  of  the  river,  I  raised  myself  up  with  my  gun  cocked  ; 
but  nothing  appeared.  I  advanced  a  little  furthei ;  nothing 
was  to  be  seen,  although  I  could  have  discerned  a  ground 
squirrel,  had  he  been  withirt  half  a  mile.  I  ran  to  an  oak 
and  climbed  up  to  the  top ;  still  saw  nothing.  I  could  not 
conceive  in  what  manner  it  could  have  escaped  me.  When 
I  first  perceived  the  object,  it  appeared  to  stretch  out  the 
neck,  which  did  not  resemble  that  of  a  bear,  look  toward 
me,  then  toward  the  fort,  and  immediately  disappear.  I 
went  to  the  spot,  but  could  perceive  no  tracks.  I  could  dis- 
tinctly hear  the  Indians  singing  and  talking.  I  went  home 
and,  although  it  was  getting  dark,  I  informed  Desmarais 
privately,  desiring  him  to  take  his  gun  and  go  with  me.  We 
went  *'o  the  place,  made  a  circuit,  and  searched  a  long  time 
in  vain.  Desmarais  insisted  upon  its  being  a  Sioux  discov- 
erer [scout  or  spy],  and  attempted  to  show  me  many  ways 
by  which  he  might  have  prevented  my  seeing  him  aftei  I 
had  gone  down  to  the  bank.    Let  this  be  as  it  may. 

On  our  return  I  was  surprised  to  find  the  gates  shut,  and 
all  the  men,  women,  and  children  still  half  drunk,  in  a  row 
along  the  stockade,  bawling  out  for  admittance.  Everyone 
was  loaded  wit:h  his  own  baggage,  kettle,  and  blanket,  pup- 


■■*W*->^.i 


I08     SCENE  OF  CONFUSION— CROOKED  LEGS  SORRY. 


,;^ 


1 


.  'I 


;J 


% 

■  ';» 


: 


pies  were  squealing,  children  crying — ^altogether  it  was  such 
a  srene  of  confusion  that  we  almost  began  to  believe  the 
enemy  was  surrounding  the  fort.  Having  called  out  and 
been  admitted,  I  allowed  everybody  to  come  in ;  amongst 
them  was  the  wounded  woman.  I  then  inquired  into  the 
cause  of  the  alarm,  and  I  was  informed  that,  contrary  to 
my  orders,  Desmarais  had  told  them  I  had  seen  a  Sioux. 
This  coming  from  me,  there  was  not  the  least  doubt  it 
was  true.  I  was  vexed  with  Desmarais,  but  it  stopped 
the  drinking  match.  The  Indians  kept  watch  with  us, 
and  there  were  only  some  of  the  women  drinking  very 
quietly. 

Sept.  joth.  This  morning  the  Indians  wished  me  to 
allow  them  to  pitch  their  tents  inside  the  stockade,  but  my 
fort  was  too  small.  I  told  them  they  were  welcome  to  sleep 
in  it  every  night.  They  all  retired  to  their  cabins  to  sleep 
off  the  effects  of  the  liquor ;  the  wounded  woman  walked 
away  also,  attended  by  her  old  husband,  who  appeared  very 
sorry  for  what  he  had  done  and  was  very  attentive  to  her. 
Ht  is  a  great  doctor,  and  -does  not  despair  of  curing  her. 
She  walked  very  stiff,  her  face  as  pale  as  a  corpse,  every 
moment  casting  cruel  frowns  upon  the  old  gentleman. 
One  of  my  men  made  a  trap  yesterday,  and  this  morning 
caught  a  red  fox  [Vulpus  fulvus], 

Oct.  1st.  I  was  unwell  during  the  night,  but  found  my- 
self better  this  morning.  It  began  to  rain  and  continued 
all  day.  The  Indians  have  all  been  hunting,  but  the  rain 
prevented  them  from  killing,  although  they  had  seen  sev- 
eral bears  and  two  wolves.  One  of  them  killed  a  bear  this 
afternoon  near  the  fort ;  it  was  a  lucky  supply,  as  we  were 
short  of  fresh  meat. 

Oct.  2d.  Fine  clcAi'  weather.  Indians  all  out  hunting.  I 
was  still  unwell,  and  therefore  determined  to  ride  down  to 
the  river  alone.  I  went  almost  to  the  Bois  Perc^  before  I 
saw  anything  but  bulls.  Here  I  fell  in  with  a  large  herd  of 
red  deer  feeding  on  the  edge  of  the  woods.  Having  se- 
cured my  horse  to  a  tree,   I  approached  them.    I  now 


"WHO  IS  THERE?"     "  C'EST  MOI,  BOURGEOIS.  "       IO9 

regretted  having  left  my  double-barreled  gun  behind.  I 
had  taken  only  a  short  gun,  that  had  burst  and  been  cut 
down.  She  was  good  for  nothing ;  however,  I  opened  fire 
on  the  herd,  loading  and  shooting  as  fast  as  I  could.  This 
appeared  to  confuse  them,  and,  instead  of  running  away,  they 
simply  moved  to  and  fro  in  the  low  brush.  They  attempted 
to  enter  the  strong  wood  along  the  river,  but  I  was  alert 
enough  to  intercept  them.  They  took  to  the  plains  as 
my  ammunition  was  expended.  The  sun  had  set ;  I  was  at 
some  distance  from  home,  and  also  from  my  horse ;  and 
had  lost  my  knife.  I  had  killed  one  deer  on  the  spot,  but 
had  only  wounded  four,  which  I  saw  walking  slowly  after 
the  band,  the  blood  streaming  down  their  sides  and  legs.  It 
was  too  late  to  go  after  them,  even  had  I  had  ammunition, 
and  I  knew  my  people  would  be  anxious  about  me.  It  was 
totally  dark  before  I  found  my  horse.  I  mounted  and  rod<: 
at  full  gallop.  No  noise  was  heard  but  that  of  swans  and 
geese  screaming,  as  they  flew  their  way  to  warmer  climates. 
At  ten  o'clock  I  came  to  the  point  of  wood  in  which  the 
fort  was  built,  and  just  as  I  entered  the  wood  at  a  gallop  to 
take  the  road  that  led  to  the  gate,  a  gun  was  fired  about 
ten  yards  from  me,  apparently  by  a  person  who  lay  in  the 
long  grass.  My  horse  was  startled  and  jumped  on  one  side, 
snorting  and  prancing ;  but  I  kept  my  seat,  calling  out, 
"  Who  is  there  ?  "  No  answer  was  returned.  I  instantly  drew 
my  gun  from  my  belt  and  cocked  her  to  fire,  forgetting  she 
was  not  loaded  and  I  had  no  ammunition.  I  could  still  see 
the  person  running  in  the  grass,  and  was  disappointed  in  not 
having  a  shot  at  him.  I  again  called  out,  "  Who  is  there  ?  " 
"  C'est  moi.  Bourgeois ! "  It  proved  to  be  one  of  my  men, 
Charbonneau.  I  was  vexed  with  him  for  causing  me  such 
consternation.  Having  got  home,  I  found  all  hands  much 
alarmed.  The  Indians  who  had  been  out  hunting-  said  they 
had  seen  Sioux,  and  my  absence  till  so  late  an  hour  had 
persuaded  them  I  must  have  been  ktlled.  My  men  were 
apprehensive  I  had  gone  astray,  and  therefore,  after  dark, 
had  been  continually  firing.    When  Charbonneau  heard  the 


i 


-;-<>ii»,.*4'-i. 


no      CROOKED  legs'  YOUNG  WIFE  IS  HERSELF  AGAIN. 


I' 
I 

M 
'I 


ill; 


i 


h 

m 


4- 


trampling  of  my  horse,  he  fired  for  a  joke,  and  preteaded  to 
hide.  The  fellow  would  have  paid  dear  for  hit  joke,  had  my 
gun  been  loaded. 

Oct.  jd.  Indians  away  hunting.  One  of  my  men  was 
very  ill  with  a  colic.  I  gave  him  some  essence  of  pepper> 
mint,  but  it  diH  not  cure  him ;  soon  after  gave  him  some 
sweet  oil,  which  he  threw  up ;  he  was  in  great  pain.  I 
gave  him  a  dose  of  jalap,  which  he  soon  threw  up,  and  his 
pan  increased.  I  then  gave  him  an  extraordinary  dose  of 
Glauber's  salts,  which,  after  some  time,  took  its  course,  but 
did  not  appear  to  relieve  him  much.  Charlo  decamped 
on  the  E.  side  with  his  family,  in  search  of  beavers.  The 
Indians  killed  two  bears  and  some  wild  fowl.  They  are 
troublesome  and  peevish,  and  wish  I  would  give  them  some 
cause  to  leave  me.  They  are  certainly  in  a  chronic  state 
of  alarm,  and  always  representing  to  me  the  danger  of 
their  situation. 

Oct.  4th.  My  man  still  very  sick.  I  gave  him  an  emetic, 
as  he  complained  of  an  inclination  to  vomit ;  it  operated 
well,  and  I  was  surprised  to  see  what  a  quantity  of  bile  and 
other  foul  matter  he  threw  up.  The  wounded  woman  com- 
plained mosi  bitterly.  Her  old  husband  has  the  principal 
management  of  her  vvounds,  which  he  dresses  morning  and 
evening  with  a  mixture  of  roots  and  barks,  whilst  she  takes 
inwardly  a  decoction  of  the  same  kind.  At  every  dressing 
she  vents  her  spleen  in  imprecations  on  the  old  man,  whilst 
he,  foolishly  attached  to  her,  receives  her  censure  with  the 
greatest  submission,  and  even  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  telling 
her  to  take  courage  and  live.  She  anwers  his  tender  advice 
with,  "  Get  out,  you  old  dog !  If  I  live,  it  will  be  the  worse 
for  you."     It  is  really  a  farce  to  see  them. 

I  found  to-day,  in  the  kidney  of  a  bull,  a  small  solid  sub- 
stance of  the  size  and  shape  of  a  bean,  and  as  hard  as  a 
pebble  [renal  calculus].  On  breaking  it  open,  it  showed 
shining  particles  of  the  nature  of  stone.  I  had  often 
abstracted  the  same  substance  from  the  kidneys  of  bulls, 
generally  like  a  bean,  but  some  perfectly  round. 


■Ku,-!**-^  ^Ijf4tMM«t-<> 


^■^  ..  -.v«i*V»i 


ANOTHER  COMMOTION   IN  CAMP. 


Ill 


Us, 


About  twelve  o'clock,  as  I  was  writing  in  my  tent,  up  In 
the  bastion,  I  heard  a  great  bustle  in  the  fort  below,  and 
people  calling  out,  "  It  is  near  at  hand."    The  women  and 
children  began  to  scream  and  run  into  the  fort.     I  jumped 
up  and  came  to  the  tent>door.    The  Indians  were  standing 
In  the  fort  with  nothing  on  but  their  breech-clouts,  powder- 
horns,  shot-bags,  and  guns  in  their  hands,  calling  out  to  the 
women  and  children  to  hide.     I  asked  the  cause  of  all  this 
commotion,  but  everybody  was  too  much  occupied  to  listen 
or  answer.     My  men,  who  had  just  placed  their  kettle  of 
meat  in  the  middle  of  the  fort,  were  calling  out,  "  To  arms ! 
to  arms ! "    They  had  got  up  from  around  the  kettle,  and 
were  gaping  and  staring  at  the  Indians ;  some  had  bits  of 
meat  sticking  out  of  their  mouths ;  others  had  their  mouths 
full ;  others,  again,  were  with  large  pieces  in  their  hands, 
whilst   some   had   let   them   drop.     All   of   them  looked 
ghastly,  their  lips  contracted,  eyes  rolling,  and  countenances 
pale  as  death.     I  could  not  conceive  what  was  the  occasion 
of  this  uproar.     I  supposed  it  might  proceed  from  some 
monstrous  grizzly  bear  at  hand,  or  in  pursuit  of  some  per- 
son who  was  running  to  the  fort,  for,  they  all  ran  to  the 
gates,  some  pushing  them  shut,  and  others  opening  them, 
some  swearing  they  were  better  shut   than   open,  others 
swearing  to  the  contrary.    By  this  time  I  had  got  down 
amongst  them,  and  inquired   the  cause;   when  I  was  in- 
formed that  somebody  hail  seen   two  Indians   not   more 
than   200  yards   from  the  fort,  crawling  on  their  bellies 
toward  some  children  at  play.     Having  brought  my  gun 
with  me,  I  instantly  ran  after  the  Indians,  desiring  them  to 
return,  as  we  should  stand  a  better  chance   within   than 
without  the  stockades ;  they  did  so.    Not  one  of  my  men 
had  a  gun  in  his  hands,  their  consternation  was  so  great. 
We  were  in  the  act  of  securing  the  gates,  when  we  saw  two 
lads  coming,  who,  we  knew,  belonged  to  the  camp.    Ob- 
serving the  alarm,  they  informed  us  it  was  themselves  who 
had  played  the  trick  to  frighten  the  children.    The  Indians 
were  highly  incensed,  ci'^d  gave  them  a  severe  reprimand, 


•U 


rir^ 


112 


VARIOUS  INCIDENTS  AND   OCCUPATIONS. 


I'' 

Hi, 


»'!'■ 


i  il, 


.',.f 


if'' 8 


telling  them  it  would  have  served  them  right  if  we  had 
shot  them. 

I  sent  Desmarais  and  others  to  seine.  They  returned 
with  five  large  sturgeon.  Wolves  are  very  numerous ;  they 
go  in  large  droves,  and  keep  up  a  terrible  howling,  day  and 
night.  My  men  caught  a  fox,  a  fisher,  and  two  raccoons  in 
their  traps.  I  am  told  the  sick  woman,  this  evening,  found 
great  relief  from  something  having,  as  she  expressed  it, 
burst  inside  the  wound,  which  instantly  discharged  a  great 
quantity  of  foul  matter. 

Sunday,  Oct.  5th.  Part  of  the  Indians  decamped  up  the 
river  to  hunt  beaver.  My  man  is  very  unwell  still ;  the  sick 
woman  is  so  far  recovered  that  she  walks  about,  and  sits  up 
to  make  shoes.  My  hunter's  child  is  sick.  The  buffaloes 
are  moving  southward  in  one  body.  My  men  brought  a 
raft  of  flooring  wood  of  bois  blanc  split.  I  supplied  the 
sick  with  flour,  sugar,  and  some  tea.  My  men  caught  five 
raccoons  in  their  traps  along  the  beach. 

Oct.  6th.  Early  this  morning  my  hunter  went  out  and 
returned  at  ten  o'clock ;  he  had  shot  a  bear  and  two  red 
derr.  I  sent  eight  men  for  the  meat.  My  men  caught 
three  raccoons  in  their  traps.  At  three  o'clock  the  others 
returned  with  the  meat.  The  bucks,  having  done  rutting, 
are  very  lean  and  poor,  whilst  the  does  are  fat.  It  is  sur- 
prising  how  suddenly  this  change  takes  place  in  red  deer. 

Oct.  jth.  One  of  my  men  cut  his  hand  with  an  ax,  in  a 
very  ugly  manner.  Desmarais  has  been  employed  for  a  few 
days  on  making  a  seine  which  is  now  finished ;  2  pounds  of 
sturgeon  twine  produces  4  fathoms  45  meshes  high,  and  2 
skeins  maitre  de  nits  and  40  balls  finishes  a  seine.  At  ten 
o'clock  I  sent  two  men  in  a  large  canoe  down  river  for  red 
deer,  it  being  necessary  that  one  of  the  canoes  should 
pass  the  winter  below,  as  we  may  need  it  early  in  the  spring. 
I  propose  to  follow  it  on  horseback,  being  anxious  to  know 
how  Langlois  is  coming  on  with  his  Indians. 

Oct.  8th.  I  gave  all  hands  a  dram,  and  at  nine  o'clock 
set  off  alone  on  horseback.     It  soon  began  to  snow ;  the 


'■'. 


VOYAGE  DOWN   RIVER  TO   LANOLOIS. 


113 


wind  increased.  I  taw  several  small  herds  of  buffalo  and 
red  deer;  also  wild  fowl  in  great  abundance.  I  over- 
took the  canoe  a  little  below  the  Bois  Perc6.  The  wind 
blowing  directly  ahead,  they  could  make  no  way  against  it, 
although  they  labored  hard.  We  therefore  camped  at 
four  o'clock.  I  had  killed  two  buffaloes  and  some  geese. 
The  men  complained  that  the  c&iioc  was  heavy  and 
leaky.  One  of  them  had  to  be  almost  continually  bailing 
her  with  a  dish,  and  we  had  no  gum  to  repair  her.  This 
evening  I  tied  my  horse's  hind  legs  together  with  a  strong 
rope  and  put  on  his  neck  a  long  piece  of  line  to  which  was 
fastened  a  large  log  of  wood.  I  took  this  precaution  as  I 
supposed  he  was  inclined  to  return  to  Crow's  mare. 

Oct.  gth.  We  looked  about  for  my  horse,  but  he  was 
not  to  be  found.  He  had  broken  the  rope,  and  the  cord 
that  fastened  his  legs,  and  was  off.  I  sent  one  of  my  men 
in  pursuit,  and  took  his  place  in  the  canoe.  It  was  very 
cold ;  the  tops  of  the  trees  and  willows  were  covered  with 
frimas  [hoarfrost].  We  were  soon  obliged  to  haul  our 
canoe  on  the  beach,  and  with  great  difficulty  turned  her 
up ;  when  we  scraped  off  all  the  gum  we  could  get  from 
her  upper  seams,  gummed  the  bottom  as  best  we  could, 
and  launched  her.  In  doing  this  our  dish  fell  into  the  river 
and  sunk.  We  had  nothing  else  to  bail  with.  I  therefore 
used  my  hat  for  that  purpose.  But  the  gum  soon  cracked 
and  the  water  gained  on  'us.  We  again  hauled  her  up, 
plastered  her  ovur  with  some  stiff,  yellow  clay  we  found  on 
the  beach,  and  re-embarked,  but  had  not  gone  above  a  mile 
when,  in  spite  of  my  hat,  she  filled  and  sunk  before  we 
could  reach  shore.  With  great  trouble  we  got  her  near  the 
beach,  and  by  degrees  emptied  her.  This  was  an  ugly  task, 
in  mud  and  water  up  to  our  middle.  It  was  a  long  time 
before  we  got  her  entirely  clear,  but  our  united  efforts 
could  not  turn  her  up.  We  left  her  on  the  beach  and  made 
a  fire  for  the  night.  We  had  nothing  to  eat,  and  no 
kettle  to  cook  with.  I  had  only  the  one  pair  of  shoes  that 
were  on  my  feet,  and  which  were  much  the  worse  for  wear. 


t 


114 


PROGRESS  OF  THIS  VOYAGE. 


I 


1  f 


i 


I 


I  saw  plenty  of  buffalo  on  the  plains,  but  my  shoes  would 
not    permit    me    to  go  after   them.       Although  I  killed 
enough  provisions  yesterday  to  last  us  a  month,  to^ay  we 
are  without  a  mouthful,  so  very  improvident  ar.  people  in 
this  country.    This  morning  we  had  embarked  a  lot  of 
stock,  but  it  soon  got  wet,  and  afterward  muddy ;  we  left  it 
at  the  first  place  we  put  ashore  to  gum,  thinking  we  should 
get  plenty  more  for  supper.     I  went  out  hunting  along  the 
beach,  but  returned  with  only  an  eagle,  which  we  roasted. 
The  wind  came  on  a  mere  "  hurricane  from  the  N.,  very 
cold,  with  light  snow,  and  we  could  find  no  shelter  from  the 
storm.     Having  no  ax  our  fire  was  soon  blown  away,  and 
we  passed  a  very  disagreeable   night,  shivering  with  the 
cold.     I  was  angry  with  my  men   for  having  lost  the  ax. 
Ocf.  roth.    As  soon  as  I  could  see  my  way  I  went  hunt- 
ing along  the  beach,  where  I  required  no  Si.  jes.     But  as 
if  the  wild  fowl  were   combined    against  us,  not  one  was 
to  be  seen.    At  twelve  o'clock  my  man  arrived  with  the 
horse,   which  he  did  not   overtake   until    he   reached  the 
fort.      Having  brought  some  gum  with  him,   we  repaired 
the  canoe  as  best  we  could ;  but  she  was  such  a  miserable 
crazy  machine  she  could  hardly  support  her  own  weight. 
At  two   o'clock   the   two  men   embarked ;   the   wind  still 
strong  ahead  and   very   cold.       I  mounted  my  horse  and 
went  hunting  on  the  plains,  where  I  soon  killed  a  buffalo. 
I   brought  a  small  load  of  meat  to  Two  Rivers,  made  a 
fire,  and  waited  for  the  canoe.     She  arrived  late,  half-full 
of  water.    They  had  put  ashore,  and  used  all  the  gum  to 
no  purpose  ;  she  was  as  leaky  as  before.     Here  we  camped. 
I  determined  to  proceed  by  land  to-morrow.    The  men  had 
no  good  shoes,  but   they    repaired  the  old  ones  the  best 


""'A  mere  hurricane  "  strikes  us  as  a  curious  phrase.  But  that  is  because  we 
have  almost  lost  sight  of  the  original  meaning  of  mere,  which  prevailed  with 
little  or  no  modification  at  the  time  Henry  wrote.  Etymolc^cally  the  word 
signifies  "  pure,"  "  unmixed,"  "  unqualified,"  and  the  like,  whence  it  came  to 
denote  what  we  now  mean  when  we  say  "  sheer,"  "  utter,"  "  complete,"  etc.,  or 
use  "  very  "  as  an  adjective. 


PEMBINA  PASSED— PORCUPINE-GRASS. 


"5 


they  could  without  an  awl.  I  thought  to  make  sure  that 
my  horse  should  not  play  me  any  more  tricks,  and  make  me 
journey  afoot,  as  I  had  no  shoes  but  my  old  ones,  with 
scarcely  any  soles.  I  hoppled  his  fore  legs  with  a  strong 
piece  of  leather,  fastened  one  of  his  hind  legs  to  them,  and 
then  tied  him  to  a  stump  with  a  strong  double  of  new 
codline.  The  night  was  cold  and  dreary,  with  light  rain 
and  strong  N.  E.  wind.  I  kept  an  eye  on  my  horse,  which 
appeared  very  quiet  till  two  hours  before  day,  when  I 
supposed  there  was  no  more  danger.  Having  examined 
his  fetters,  which  were  in  good  order,  I  went  sound  asleep. 
Oct.  nth.  The  first  thing  missing  was  my  horse.  I 
awoke  the  men  and  sent  them  in  pursuit  of  him.  They 
were  gone  about  an  hour,  when  they  returned  to  tell  me 
they  had  seen  him  running  full  speed  southward.  They 
brought  the  twisted  and  broken  cords  with  which  he  had 
been  tied.  This  was  a  sad  disappointment.  I  resolved  to 
wait  no  longer ;  so  I  cut  up  the  leather  of  my  saddle, 
wrapped  it  upon  my  feet  as  best  I  could,  and  cuc  off  the 
skirt  of  my  capot  to  serve  me  as  mitts.  Wrapping  our 
blankets  around  us  we  set  off  at  ten  o'clock.  The  weather 
cruelly  cold,  with  a  strong  wind.  I  killed  a  fat  s^van  flying, 
and  one  of  my  men,  being  determined  to  eat  it,  took  it  up 
on  his  back.  At  two  o'clock  we  crossed  Fanbian  river; 
saw  many  red  deer  tracks ;  wild  fowl  passed  in  abundance. 
One  of  my  men  complained  of  being  knocked  up  and 
wished  me  to  stop  for  the  night,  but  we  were  then  some 
distance  from  Red  river  and  choking  with  thirst.  I  en- 
couraged him  to  push  on  and  throw  away  the  swan,  but  he 
would  not  consent  to  part  with  it.  Our  shoes  were  entirely 
worn  out,  and  we  had  no  more  leather  to  put  under  the 
soles.  The  short,  pointed  grass  [porcupine-grass,  Stipa 
spartea]  annoyed  us  very  much  as  we  crawled  along  in 
great  misery  and  pain,  almost  every  third  step  being  upon 
a  blade  of  this  grass,  which  grows  all  over  these  level 
meadows.  It  is  not  more  than  two  inches  high,  about  the 
thickness  of  an  awl,  and  fully  as  sharp ;  it  even  penetrates 


.' ,) 


m 


! 


i 


Ii6 


REED  RIVER  REACHED. 


Strong  leather  and  socks,  and  when  it  pierces  the  skin  the 
point  breaks  off  and  remains  in  the  flesh.  Our  thirst  was 
excessive,  and  I  apprehended  some  fatal  consequences. 
However,  we  kept  on  till  dark,  when  to  our  great  joy  we 
reached  Red  river.  Having  taken  a  hearty  drink,  we  looked 
around  and  found  we  were  some  distance  below  Reed  river. 
We  determined  to  go  up  along  the  beach,  in  search  of  the 
buildings.  The  walking  was  very  ugly  and  tedious  for 
persons  whose  feet  were  stuck  full  of  this  pointed  grass. 
The  beach  and  banks  here  were  overgrown  with  willows, 
high  grass,  and  gratia.  After  walking  some  time  I  imagined 
we  were  about  opposite  to  where  I  had  desired  Langlois  to 
build.  We  sat  down  and  called  aloud,  but  received  no 
answer.  We  shouted  again,  but  to  no  purpose.  I  began 
to  suspect  that  the  Indians  had  prevailed  upon  Langlois  to 
go  down  to  Riviere  aux  Gratias  and  build  there,  as  I  had 
left  it  at  his  option  in  case  the  Indians  appeared  inclined 
to  leave  him.  I  mentioned  this  to  the  men  and  told  them 
we  might  as  well  camp  for  the  night,  and  to-morrow  crawl 
to  Riviere  aux  Gratias  as  best  we  could,  by  cutting  up  our 
blankets  for  shoes.  The  night  was  cloudy  and  dark,  but  I 
saw  a  small  birch  canoe  drifting  near  by ;  we  hauled  her  up 
and  emptied  the  water,  but  found  her  in  too  bad  a  condi- 
tion to  be  of  any  service.  With  one  of  my  men  I  began 
to  look  for  a  place  to  sleep,  whilst  our  fatigued  companion 
lay  stretched  upon  the  beach,  declaring  he  did  not  care  to 
live.  Suddenly  he  said  in  a  faint  voice  that  he  heard  some 
noise,  but  was  not  certain  whence  it  proceeded.  We  called 
again,  but  no  answer.  I  went  a  few  paces  up  river,  when, 
looking  steadily  across,  I  thought  I  saw  a  glimmer  among  the 
large  elms.  I  rubbed  my  eyes  and  took  a  second  look,  when 
I  was  convinced  it  was  really  a  light.  I  bellowed  out  lustily 
and  was  immediately  answered  by  one  of  Langlois'  men. 
Only  those  who  have  been  in  a  similar  situation  can  imagine 
the  sensations  one  enjoys  in  a  moment  like  this.  My  men 
joined  me,  and  my  knocked-up  man  was  so  overjoyed  that 
he  forgot  his  fatigue  and  scarcely  knew  what  he  was  about. 


:if 


FROM   REED   RIVER  TO  HAIR  HILLS  POST. 


117 


We  soon  crossed  and  found  our  people  in  their  houses, 
which  had  been  finished  some  time.  I  was  surrounded  by 
every  Indian  at  the  house,  anxious  to  know  how  we  had 
escaped  the  Sioux,  as  they  had  supposed  us  all  dead  long 
ago.  Having  given  them  the  desired  information,  they  left 
me  quiet  to  pluck  the  painful  grass-blades  out  of  my  feet. 
I  found  our  affairs  going  on  tolerably  well.  Lagass^  had 
gone  to  the  Hair  hills  with  a  small  assortment  of  goods, 
and  the  Indians  had  made  a  very  fair  hunt  in  beavers.  I 
was  informed  that  two  of  Langlois'  Indians  had  killed  and 
wounded  the  buffaloes  that  Crow  and  Charlo  had  seen  in 
the  hills  some  time  ago.  They  had  also  seen  two  Indians, 
whom  they  took  for  Sioux,  which  made  them  return  to  Red 
river  sooner  than  they  had  intended.  They  had  brought 
each  30  beaver  skins.  The  Indian  who  was  stabbed  in  the 
knee  last  August  at  this  place  is  still  ill  of  the  wound  ;  he 
cannot  walk  at  all.  The  Indians  have  but  moderate  debts, 
from  20  to  25  skins,  which  I  believe  they  will  pay,  although 
they  are  great  rogues. 

Sunday,  Oct.  12th.  I  was  agreeably  surprised  to  find 
here  Desmarais'  black  horse  which  we  had  lost  above.  He 
was  found  some  time  ago  at  Plumb  river  in  company  with  a 
large  herd  of  buffaloes.  I  was  determined  to  take  a  trip  to 
the  hills  to  see  how  matters  came  on  there,  so  I  sent  to 
search  for  the  horse.  The  Inplians  plagued  me  for  liquor, 
but  I  gave  them  none.  I  took  the  inventory,  etc.  My  feet 
are  very  sore  ;  I  can  scarcely  crawl  about. 

Oct.  ijth.  It  was  nine  o'clock  before  we  could  get  our 
horses  over  the  river  and  set  off.  Langlois  and  myself  pro- 
ceeded along  Riviere  aux  Marais.  Leaving  the  woods  of  that 
river,  we  crossed  the  plains  to  L'Isle  du  Passage  through 
one  continuous  herd  of  buffalo,  but  had  no  time  to  chase 
them.  At  one  o'clock  we  stopped  at  this  island  to  rest  our 
horses,  and  then  proceeded  to  the  foot  of  the  Panbian 
river  traverse,  where  we  allowed  our  horses  another  half 
hour's  rest  and  feed.  Here  I  climbed  a  high  tree,  and,  as 
far  as  the  eye.  could  reach,  the  plains  were  covered  with 


w 


i  ■: 


■»'  i 


Il8       WITH  LAGASS£  AND  DUBOIS  AT  HAIR  HILLS. 


buffalo  in  every  direction.  We  set  off,  and  at  five  o'clock 
arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  or  hills. 

Here  we  found  Lagass6  and  Dubois  in  a  small  hut,  1 5 
feet  square,  which  answered  for  dwelling,  storehouse,  and 
shop.  Two  Indians  were  with  him,  Nanaundeyea  and 
Grosse  Loge;  they  had  made  no  hunt  as  yet.  One  of 
them  a  few  days  ago  saw  a  full-grown  bear  as  white  as 
snow.  His  gun  missed  fire  and  the  bear  escaped.  He 
assured  me  it  was  not  the  grizzly,  but  the  common  kind. 
The  country  from  Red  river  to  this  mountain  is  one  level 
plain,  without  a  hill  or  a  stone.  The  grass  would  be  rather 
long  were  it  not  for  the  buffalo.  On  ascending  the  moun- 
tain, the  face  of  the  country  suddenly  changes,  the  soil  is 
sandy,  and  stones  are  frequent.  The  ground  is  rough; 
deep  wooded  valleys  and  high  barren  hills  are  the  principal 
objects.  From  the  brow  of  the  mountain,  at  the  foot  of 
which  the  building  stands,  there  is  a  delightful  view.  On 
the  E.  lies  the  large  level  plain,  where  there  is  not  a  stick 
of  wood  to  be  seen,  excepting  along  Panbian  river,  which 
runs  in  a  serpentine  course  until  it  ib  lost  to  view  far  east- 
ward. We  have  also  a  glimpse  of  Tongue  river  to  the  S.  E., 
running  N.  E.  to  join  Panbian  river.  The  land  between 
these  two  rivers  is  partially  wooded,  forming  a  famous  coun- 
try for  moose  and  red  deer.  N.  and  S.  the  prospect  is  soon 
terminated  by  rising  grounds,  partially  wooded,  but  west- 
ward the  winding  course  of  the  Panbian  is  seen  in  a  deep 
valley  for  many  miles,  W.  of  which  appears  a  blue  wooded 
ridge.  Beyond  this  ridge  the  country  is  more  level,  and 
there  is  no  wood  for  several  days'  journey ;  but  the  land 
never  sinks  again  to  the  level  of  that  adjoining  Red  river. 

Oct.  14th.  A  thick  fog  this  morning,  but  cold,  with  heavy 
frimas.  Panbian  river  is  here  much  broader  than  at  its 
mouth;  the  bottom  is  sand,  intermixed  with  a  blue  slaty 
gravel  and  frequently  large  stones,  like  all  the  small  rivers 
which  come  from  the  Hair  hills.  Their  first  course  is 
through  deep  valleys,  where  the  beds  are  almost  choked 
with  stones.    Then,  on  leaving  the  hills,  the  valleys  end. 


FROM   HAIR  HILLS  TO  PEMBINA  RIVER. 


119 


and  the  beds  are  of  sand  and  blue  gravel,  with  a  few  large 
stones  lying  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  meadows.  After 
five  or  six  miles  nothing  but  sand  is  to  be  seen,  and  then,  in 
a  few  miles  more,  come  mud  and  mire,  through  which  'even 
buffalo  have  great  difficulty  in  crossing.  Our  horses  fre- 
quently stick  fast,  and  it  is  only  with  great  trouble  we  can 
get  them  out. 

I  hired  Nanaundeyea  to  go  toward  the  Ribbone  lakes  in 
search  of  the  Crees  and  Assiniboines,  and  try  to  prevail 
upon  some  of  them  to  come  to  our  establishment.  As  an 
inducement  I  desired  him  to  inform  them  that  I  intended 
to  establish  a  summer  post  on  this  river,  where  they  could 
always  find  their  necessary  supplies ;  that  this  year  I  sent  to 
the  hills  merely  as  a  trial ;  but  if  I  could  be  sure  of  seeing 
Indians  here  annually,  I  would  form  a  permanent  post.  I 
desired  him  also  to  go  to  Pinancewaywining,  whici:  is  the 
common  route  by  which  the  Assiniboine  River  iniians 
pass  over  the  mountain  to  hunt  bear  and  buffalo  on  the 
E.  side.  He  promised  he  would  do  his  best  to  finrl  the 
Indians. 

At  ten  o'clock  we  remounted  and  came  away.  Thick  fog 
continued,  but  the  sun  appearing,  we  directed  our  course  as 
near  as  possible  for  Passage  island,  where  we  arrived  about 
one  o'clock  ;  here  we  unsaddled  to  give  our  horses  a  rest.  I 
shot  two  cows  and  a  heifer  two  years  old  ;  the  latter  was 
extraordinarily  fat,  with  over  an  inch  of  depouille.  Those 
young  animals  are  seldom  fat  in  depouille.  Buffalo  have 
ravaged  this  small  island ;  nothing  remains  but  the  large 
elms  and  oaks,  whose  bark  has  been  polished  to  the  height 
of  the  buffalo  by  their  perpetual  rubbing.  Brush  and  grass 
are  not  to  be  seen  in  this  little  wood,  which  on  the  whole  is 
a  delightful  spot.  We  took  some  choice  pieces  of  meat  upon 
our  horses  and  set  out.  I  shot  a  red  fox  at  the  distance  of 
ICO  paces,  with  my  double-barreled  gun,  loaded  with  a  sin- 
gle ball.  At  seven  o'clock  we  crossed  Panbian  river ;  our 
horses  were  much  fatigued,  as  we  rode  hard.  I  suppose 
the  distance  to  be  15  leagues.     We  observed  a  thick  smoke 


\\ 


li 


f 


120 


BACK  TO  PARK   RIVER   POST. 


toward  the  Ribbone  lakes,  which  makes  me  bcliv-ve  my 
messenger  will  find  the  Indians  there. 

Oct.  15th.  I  found  it  necessary  to  alter  the  arrangement 
of  the  people  at  the  hills.  None  would  remain  under  the 
command  of  Lagassd,  nor  do  I  think  him  a  fit  person  to 
have  property  in  charge.  I  therefore  sent  Hamel  to  take 
charge,  desiring  Lagass6  to  return  to  this  place.  I  was  also 
obliged  to  leave  here  the  two  men  who  came  with  me  to 
re-enforce  the  mountain  post  to  which  I  sent  them  with 
Hamel.  They  took  their  baggage  and  some  goods  on  their 
backs.  Having  no  horses,  I  dispatched  two  men  with  gum, 
bark,  and  wattap,  to  repair  and  bring  down  the  canoe  we 
had  abandoned  at  Two  Rivers.  The  Indians  decamped, 
saying  they  were  going  to  hunt  beaver  on  Two  Rivers.  But 
they  will  soon  be  at  my  fort,  as  they  no  longer  apprehend 
danger. 

Oct.  i6th.  At  nine  o'clock  I  mounted  and  set  of7  alone 
on  my  return.  At  Panbian  river  I  killed  a  fat  swan ;  and 
opposite  Fort  des  Trembles,"  two  bulls.  It  began  to  snow 
and  blow  hard  from  the  N.  At  three  o'clock  I  reached 
Two  Rivers,  where  my  two  men  had  only  just  finished 
repairing  the  ca  loe.  The  snowstorm  increasing,  I  deter- 
mined to  stop  for  the  night.  We  accordingly  carried  our 
canoe  into  the  woods,  made  a  rousing  fire,  and  took  shelter 
under  her,  where  we  were  perfectly  comfortable,  though  it 
snowed  all  night. 

Oct.  ijth.  The  storm  had  abated,  but  it  was  very 
cold,  the  ground  deep  with  snow,  and  the  weather  hazy, 
with  a  thick  frimas.  The  men  proposed  to  embark.  I 
mounted,  and  proceeded  alone ;  saw  a  few  buffalo,  and  red 
deer  in  abundance.     At  two  o'clock  I    reached  my  fort, 


"  Unidentified  ;  there  was  no  fort  in  existence  on  the  E.  side  of  Red  r.  in  that 
vicinity.  Chaboillez's  house  had  been  called  Fort  Paubna ;  and  unless  Fort 
des  Trembles  was  another  name  of  it,  Henry  probably  refers  to  the  site  of 
Grant's  house :  see  note  *,  p.  80.  Tremble  is  good  French  for  the  aspen,  as 
tremblaie  is  for  aspen-grove ;  but  either  of  these  words  appears  oftener  in 
Canadian  records  as  tremblier :  see  note  *',  p.  49. 


GRIZZLY  AND   BLACK   BEARS. 


lai 


i; 


where  I  found  the  Indians  awaiting  my  arrival.  The  fort 
was  finished,  and  all  hands  had  been  housed  since  the  1 5th 
inst.  I  had  been  surprised  this  afternoon,  when  within  a 
few  miles  of  my  fort,  to  see  the  flag  flying ;  but  my  people 
had  mistaken  the  day  of  the  week,  supposing  this  to  be 
Sunday,  and  it  was  customary  to  hoist  a  flag  on  that  day 
at  all  our  establishments  in  the  North  West.  During  my 
absence  the  hunter  had  killed  a  large  grizzly  bear  [Ursus 
horribilis]  about  a  mile  from  the  fort.  He  had  seen  two 
males  and  a  female,  but  the  latter  escaped.  My  people 
having  cooked  and  eaten  some  of  the  flesh  were  taken  very 
ill,  and  most  of  them  threw  it  up.  This  bear  had  been 
wounded  in  the  fore  leg  some  time  before  by  an  arrow,  the 
iron  head  of  which  stuck  fast  in  the  bone,  and  was  begin- 
ning to  rust.  Grizzly  bears  are  not  numerous  along  Red 
river,  but  more  abundant  in  the  Hair  hills.  At  Lac  du 
Diable  [Devil's  lake],  which  is  about  30  leagues  W.,  they  are 
very  common — I  am  told  as  common  as  the  black  bear 
[  Ursus  anuricanus]  is  here,  and  very  malicious.  Near  that 
lake  runs  a  principal  branch  of  Schian  [Cheyenne  river], 
which  is  partially  wooded.  On  the  banks  of  this  river  I 
am  informed  they  are  also  very  numerous,  and  seldom 
molested  by  the  hunters,  it  being  the  frontier  of  the  Sioux, 
where  none  can  hunt  in  safety ;  so  there  they  breed  and 
multiply  in  security. 

Oct.  1 8th.  My  sick  man*  is  still  pale  and  emaciated  ;  he 
can  scarcely  walk,  and  has  entirely  lost  his  appetite.  The 
Indians  decamped,  some  for  the  mountain,  others  to  hunt 
beaver  on  Two  Rivers ;  none  of  them  will  consent  to  go 
above.  My  hunter  plagued  me  for  a  small  keg  of  liquor, 
having  vowed,  on  killing  the  grizzly  bear,  that  he  would 
make  a  feast  of  rum.  This  is  a  common  custom  among  the 
Saulteurs,  when  they  kill  any  uncommon  animal ;  if  liquor 
cannot  be  got  they  use  the  best  provisions  they  can  pro- 
cure, but  liquor  is  conddered  to  have  the  greatest  virtue  f 
in  appeasing  the  manes  of  the  bear,  and  rendering  thanks 
to  the  Manitou.     I  was  obliged  to  satisfy  the  fellow.     He 


'  % 


J 'I 
I 


I     >l 


i 


li! 


122 


HUNTING   AND  TRAPPING. 


also  required  a  quarter  of  a  yard  of  scarlet  cloth  to  hang 
up  as  a  sacrifice.'*  The  Indians  being  all  gone  and  my 
buildings  finished,  I  treated  my  people  to  a  gallon  of  high 
wine,  with  a  few  pounds  of  sugar  and  flour,  to  make  a  feast 
for  themselves  after  their  hard  labor. 

This  evening  my  sick  man  found  himself  suddenly 
relieved  by  something  which  burst  inside,  when  instantly 
he  felt  a  looseness  and  discharged  a  great  quantity  of  foul 
matter.  He  wis  soon  after  inclined  to  cat  and  appeared 
much  recovered.  The  wounded  woman  is  perfectly  well, 
and  does  duty  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  My  men  have 
caught  20  raccoons  and  5  foxes. 

Sunday,  Oct.  igth.  The  Indians  who  went  toward  the 
mountain  yesterday  brought  us  in  two  cows.  All  the  men 
are  setting  traps  along  the  river.  They  bring  in  daily 
some  raccoons,  foxes,  fishers,  and  wolves ;  of  martens 
\Mustela  aptericana],  there  are  none.  The  raccoons  are 
very  fat,  having  d^pouilles  two  or  three  inches  thick,  and 
are  excellent  eating  when  stripped  of  their  fat  and 
roasted. 

Oct.  20th.  Men  out  trapping.  I  examined  my  store, 
shop,  etc.,  and  put  everything  in  order.  The  kegs  of  high 
wine  I  placed  in  a  small  cellar  dug  under  the  shop  ;  pow- 
der and  tobacco  also.  I  have  1 5  ninety-pound  packages  of 
skins  and  furs. 

Oct.  2ist.  Strong  wind  with  heavy  rain,  which  fell  in 
such  torrents  as  to  penetrate  the  earth  and  straw  which 
cover  over  our  houses,  and  it  was  only  by  means  of  oil 
cloth  we  could  keep  the  property  from  getting  wet.  The 
floors  were  covered  with  water,  making  us  very  uncomfort- 
able.   The  rain  continued  all  day  and  night. 

Oct.  22d.    I  desired  my  men  to  begin  to  cut  our  winter 


"During  a  voyage  I  lately  made  to  the  source  of  the  Mississippi,  I  fre- 
quently noticed  a  similir  "  sacrifice  "the  Ojibways  had  made  on  killing  a  moose, 
the  object  being  hung  up  on  a  tall  stake  planted  at  the  water'si  edge.  Some  of 
the  ceremonies  with  which  Indians  used  to  appease  the  ghosts  of  dead  bear 
were  curious  :  read  for  example  the  story  the  elder  Henry  tells,  pp.  I43-I45> 


WOOD   USED  FOR  THE  PARK   RIVER  POST. 


123 


i 


of 


stock  of  fuel — 120  cords  of  oak  will  suffice  for  the  four  ftre« 
places,  as  we  shall  leave  early  in  the  spring. 

Oct.  2jd.  Men  employed  cutting  wood.  We  perceive  a 
thick  smoke  to  the  S.  W.  at  no  great  distance.  Desmarais 
says  it  is  the  Sioux,  who  have  killed  the  Indians  that  are 
gone  to  the  hills,  and  on  their  way  homeward  set  fire  to  the 
meadows.  This  is  the  custom  with  both  Sioux  and  Saul- 
teurs  when  they  are  out  to  war,  and  a  party  turns  home- 
ward.  Should  it  be  in  winter,  they  seek  high  reeds  or 
rubbish,  and  if  there  is  none  to  be  found,  they  crilect  a 
great  quantity  of  dry  wood  and  brush  and  set  fire  to 
the  pile.  In  course  of  the  day  I  took  a  memorandum 
of  our  buildings.  In  my  opinion  the  men  have  worked 
hard. 


WOOD  USED  IN  OUR  ESTABLISHMENT  AT  PARK  RIVIR,  AUTUMN  OF   180O. 

Stockades,  15  ft.  long,  oak, 564 

do         8  ft.,  oak,  for  rembrits  [?],           .        .        .        .  1A4 

do         6  ft.  for  3d  lining  to  bastion,            ....  xoo 

do         5  ft.  over  the  two  gates 34 

do         7  to  15  ft.,  oak,  for  laths, 94 

do         8  ft.  for  plank  for  gates 14 

do         7  ft.  for  plank  for  bastions, 30 

Pegs,  I  ^  ft.  for  stockades,  etc 770 

Total 3,100 

FOR  DWELLING-HOUSE. 

Oak  logs  of  10  ft.  for  the  square,       ...        .        .        .  7t 

do      of  18  ft.  for  the  pinions  [pignont,  gables],       .        .  18 

do      of  15  ft.  for  the  cloisons  [partitions],          .        .         •  4S 

do      of  9  ft.  for  the  covering, 930 

do      contg.  100  ft.  for  the  sableries  [sabliires,  wall-plates],  6 

do      contg.  100  ft.  for  the  covering,       ....  6 

do      of  II  ft.  for  the  aiguilles  [rails?] S 

do      of  30  ft.  for  the  fattes  [ridge-poles],         ...  3 

Squared  posts,  8  ft.  for  doors  and  covers,            .        .        .        .  14 

Posts,  4  ft.  for  windows Ii 

Planks,  8  ft.  for  flooring,            lOJ 

Boards,  6  ft.  for  doors,  beds,  etc., ttS 

Total 690 


»<  < 


I 

•  1.'' 


iff' 


124         WOOD   USEP     FTC— MAVMIUTCH'S  DESIGNS. 


KOR   STORBHOUIK. 


0«k  logs  of  34  ft.  for  k(|u«re,     , 
Pine  logs  uf  13  fi.  for  pinionH, 
Oak  logs  of  9  ft.  for  covering, 
do       of  94  ft.  for  lattru, 
do       of  33  ft.  for  co/ering, 
do       of  1 1  ft.  for  aiguilles, 
Oak  posts  uf  5  ft.  lOr  doors, 
do  planks  of  j  ft.  for  doors, 
do  logs  of  13  ft.  for  flooring. 


Total, 


FOR   SHOP. 


Oak  logs  of  15  ft.  for  the  square, 
do       of  13  ft.  for  the  pinions, 
do       of    9  ft.  for  the  covering, 
do       of  IS  ft.  for  the  fattes,     . 
do       of  II  ft.  for  ,he  aiguilles. 

Oak  posts  of  5  ft.  for  the  doors, 
do  planks  8  ft.  for  the  riooring, 


Total. 


Pieces  of  timber  and  wood. 

Oak  stick  of  35  ft.  for  a  flag-staff. 


Total. 


It 

ISO 

I 

I 

J 

a 

i 

50 

313 


IS 

30 

73 
3 
2 
2 

55 

170 

3."3 
I 

3.'M 


Oct.  24.th.  Employed  Deimarais  to  put  a  touch-hole  in 
my  double-barreled  gun,  which  he  did  in  an  Lour  very 
neatly,  without  proper  tools.  I  4 hot  a  few  duck-:  and 
pheasants.  My  hunter  came  in  with  his  canoe,  bringing 
two  red  deer,  a  swan,  and  some  ducks. 

Oct.  2Sth.  Maymiutch  came  from  below  with  a  few 
skins.  He  begged  hard  for  liquor ;  I  gave  him  some,  when 
he  began  to  drink  with  my  hunter,  who  also  came  for  rum. 
He  told  me  Maymiutch  wished  him  to  stop  hunting  and 
go  below,  so  that  I  might  be  obliged  to  pay  a  higher  price 
for  meat  than  I  do.  They  shall  have  liquor  after  this  for 
nothing  but  fresh  meat.  This  dirty  trick  is  his  thanks 
for  my  kindness  to  him  since  we  left  the  Forks.  He  has 
given  my  hunter  an  elegant  drum,  trimmed  with  all  the 


:  1; !, 


i 


in 


WABENO— -INDIAN  GRATITUDE— PROPOSED  JOURNEY.    I25 

symbols  of  the  Wabbano  "  medicine,  a  number  of  different 
medicines,  and  songs  concerning  that  ceremony — articles  of 
superior  value  and  high  consideration  among  thej.:  people  ; 
when  given  with  a  view  to  obtain  any  particular  favor,  that 
is  seldom  denied.  However,  on  this  occasion  I  succeeded 
in  breaking  the  treaty.  It  might  be  considered  un(;ri.teful 
in  Maymiutch  to  debctuch  my  hunter  away,  but  similar 
affairs  occur  so  frequently  among  the  Saulteurs  that  we 
think  them  not  at  all  extraordinary.  Gratitude  they  have 
none ;  treat  them  ever  so  well  and  satisfy  every  demand  for 
a  long  time,  then  refuse  them  but  a  glass  of  liquor,  and  all 
past  obligations  are  forgotten  in  an  instant;  those  very 
persons  are  then  your  greatest  enemies. 

Sunday,  Oct.  26th,  Maymiutch  having  failed  in  his  de< 
sign,  came  to  me  and  offered  to  go  in  search  of  the  Red 
Lake  Indians,  and  inform  them  I  had  built  here.  He 
wished  to  make  friends  with  me,  seeing  I  cared  not  a  fig  for 
him.  I  was  anxious  to  hear  from  these  Indians  and  I  know 
of  none  so  fit  to  search  for  them  as  himself,  he  being  well 
acquainted  in  thr.t  quarter.  I  .herefore  arranged  it  with 
him.  To  better  perform  the  journey,  and  prevent  him  from 
circulating  falsehoods  which  might  deter  the  Indians  from 
coming  this  way,  I  determined  to  accompany  him,  with  one 
of  my  men.  We  therefore  began  to  make  shoes,  as  I  pro- 
posed to  set  off  to-morrow.  During  the  night  my  hunter 
got  an  alarm  and  knocked  at  the  gate,  saying  he  had  heard 
the  report  of  a  gun  in  the  plains,  but  I  found  it  was  only 
the  door  of  my  men's  house  that  had  slammed. 

Oct.  2'jth.  At  daybreak  I  was  up  and  sent  for  the 
Indians ;  crossed  over  my  horse,  and  immediately  set  out 
on  our  journey,  taking  only  a  few  fathoms  of  tobacco.   The 

"  Waubeno  or  Wabeno,  as  now  usually  spelled  ;  accent  on  the  last  syllable. 
The  term  is  applied  to  the  ceremony,  to  its  charm,  to  the  juggler  himself,  and 
to  his  implements.  A  picture  of  the  drum  or  tamborine  is  given  on  p.  223  of 
Dr.  W.J.  Hodman's  Medewiwin  of  the  Ojibway  in  Seventh  Ann.  Rep.  Bur. 
Ethnology  for  1885-86,  pub.  1 891,  Washington,  Gov't  Pr.  Off.,  pp.  143-300— an 
article  replete  with  curious  information  on  Ojibway  superstitions^  and  hand- 
somely illustrated.     Tanner  describes  the  "  fashionable  Wawbeno,"  p.  13s. 


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136 


JOURNEY  TOWARD  RED  LAKE   RIVER. 


Indian  and  my  man  were  also  mounted,  the  former  having 
borrowed  his  brother's  mare,  and  the  latter  riding  the  black 
horse  I  brought  from  below.  We  had  about  a  mile  of  strong 
woods  to  pass,  after  which  we  came  to  small  poplars  and 
willows  in  which  we  rmstantly  roused  red  deer.  At  nine 
o'clock  we  came  to  the  little  Rivifere  aux  Marais  '*  which  we 
did  not  cross,  but  kept  in  the  woods  along  the  N.  side  of  it. 
Here  the  grass  is  very  long,  and  we  often  had  ugly  bogs 
and  low  watery  ground  to  pass,  in  which  our  horses  sunk 
sometimes  to  their  knees.  The  country  is  low,  open,  and 
level.  At  twelve  o'clock  we  came  to  the  firm  ground,  of 
fine  plains  and  as  delightful  a  country  as  on  the  W.  side  [of 
Red  river].  Red  deer  were  very  numerous  here  not  long 
ago,  as  the  tops  of  the  oaks  along  this  little  river  are  all 
broken  and  cwisted.  The  plums  and  other  fruit  bushes  are 
torn  to  pieces  by  bears.  The  river  here  takes  a  great  bend 
to  the  S.  We  therefore  left  it  and  took  our  course  S.  E. 
over  a  fine  level  country.  We  saw  a  few  bulls  in  the  trav- 
erse, and  at  sunset  regained  Riviere  aux  Marais  at  Grosse 
Isle,  where  we  camped.  This  little  river  takes  its  water  out 
of  the  low  marshy  country  about  the  source  of  Two  Rivers 
and  Lac  des  Voleurs  [Thieves'  lake] ;  it  is  at  first  divided 
into  many  branches,  which  run  different  courses  to  every 
point  of  the  compass  before  they  join  a  few  miles  E.  of  this 
camp;  then  after  an  extraordinarily  winding  course,  the 
river  empties  into  Red  river  a  few  miles  above  Park  river. 
Our  Indian  guide  tells  me  that  if  we  do  not  find  Indians  to- 
morrow there  will  be  no  use  of  going  any  further,  as  they 
must  be  still  at  Red  lake.  He  had  hopes  of  finding  them  at 
this  place,  as  it  is  their  common  route  to  Red  river  by  land. 
Oct.  28th.  At  sunrise  we  saddled  and  set  off,  crossed 
[Snake]  river,  [perhaps  in  the  vicinity  of  Warren,  seat  of 

■*  This  "  Riviire  aux  Marais  "  mu*t  not  be  confounded  with  the  one  of  the 

,  same  name  in  Manitoba,  below  Pembina.     Henry  crosses  Red  r.  at  his  fort, 

and  is  traveling  in  Minnesota,  in  Marshall  Co.,  on  a  course  S.  of  E.     The 

stream  whose  right  bank  he  is  now  ascending  is  Snake  r.,  on  which  is  situated 

Warren,  seat  of  Marshall  Co. 


y'il 


RED  LAKE  RIVER— BLACK   RIVER. 


137 


ifi 


Marshall  Co.,  where  the  railroad  now  croises],  and  directed 
our  course  S.  E.  over  an  open  level  plain  toward  an  island 
of  wood  [islette  de  bois— clump  of  trees],  which  we  could 
scarcely  discern.  Here  we  found  a  herd  of  buffalo,  but  wc 
could  see  no  wood,  excepting  that  of  the  little  river  and  of 
the  island  ahead  of  us.  On  approaching  the  latter  we  found 
some  rising  ground  and  barren  hillocks,  between  which  lay 
small  lakes  and  marshes.  Islands  [clumps  or  patches]  of 
poplar  and  willows  were  now  very  frequent.  At  twelve 
o'clock  we  came  in  sight  of  the  tall  wood  of  Red  Lake  river, 
commonly  called  Riviere  du  Lac  Rouge.'*  We  now  had  an 
ugly  country  to  pass,  overgrown  with  small  poplars,  willows, 
and  long  grass.  Red  deer  were  very  numerous,  and  for  the 
first  time  we  saw  numerous  tracks  and  roads  of  the  fallow 
deer  or  chevreuil  [Cariacus  virjfinianus],  \.  *iich  we  soon  per- 
ceived jumping  in  every  direction.  We  crossed  Black  river 
[present  name]  a  few  miles  from  its  entrance.  This  small 
river  takes  its  water  from  several  marshes  to  the  N.  E.,  but 
at  no  great  distance,  and  runs  a  winding  course  through  a 
country  of  wood  and  meadow  until  it  empties  into  Riviere 


■  V 


,: 


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md. 
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of 

If  the 

fort. 

The 

lated 


'*  luuing  from  the  \V.  tide  of  the  lower  one  of  the  trvo  great  diviiiont  of  Red 
1.,  this  river  runt  very  crookedly,  but  on  the  whole  little  N.  of  W.  through  the 
present  Red  Lake  Indian  reservation,  to  a  place  which  rejoices  in  the  name  of 
Moose  Dung,  Polk  Co.,  but  little  S.  of  the  S.  boundary  of  Manhall  Co.  Here 
it  is  joined  from  the  N.  by  Thief  r. ;  Thief  River  Falls  at  their  junction.  Red 
Lake  r.  then  turns  S.,  flows  past  St.  Hilaire,  and  curves  E.  to  the  junction  of 
Clearwater  r.,  its  main  fork,  at  the  place  called  Red  Lake  Falls.  Continuing 
E.  the  river  receives  Black  r.,  from  the  N.,  a:  a  place  called  Huot.  It  contin- 
ues past  Gentilly  and  on  to  Crookston,  county  seat  of  Polk,  where  the  railroads 
now  cross  the  river,  and  then  curves  N.  W.  past  Fisher  and  Mallory  to  fall 
into  Red  r.  at  East  Grand  Forks,  opp.  Grand  Forks,  N.  Dak. — a  place  where 
five  railroad  tracks  now  concenter.  Grand  Forks  is  a  term  which  translates  F. 
Grandes  Fourches  ;  the  name  dates  back  to  very  early  times  ;  it  is  supposed  to 
have  been  given  by  Verendrye's  people,  about  1734.  to  the  highest  point  to  which 
they  then  ascended  Red  r.  Henry  seems  to  have  crossed  Black  r.  at  or  near  pres- 
ent town  of  Wylie.  On  reaching  the  confluence  of  the  Clearwater  with  Red  Lake 
r.,  he  notes  an  "  old  wintering  establishment."  This  was  J.  B.  Cadotte's  house. 
I  have  before  me  notes  on  Thompson's  journey  through  these  parts.  He  left 
Roy's  house  on  Red  r.  near  what  he  calls  Salt  rivulet.  Mar.  asd,  1798 ;  crossed 
Red  r.  from  W.  to  E.;  crossed  and  re-crossed  what  he  calls  Swamp  r.  (compare 


t 


i  i 


128 


CLEARWATER    RIVER — UP   RED    LAKE    RIVER. 


\f 


du  Lac  Rouge  [at  Huot,  Polk  Co.].  Having  crossed  this 
river,  which  is  not  more  than  15  feet  wide,  we  proceeded 
through  the  woods  to  the  banks  of  Red  Lake  river,  and 
came  out  exactly  opposite  [Red  Lake  Falls,  at  the  mouth 
of]  Rivifere  k  I'Eau  Claire  [Clearwater  river],  which  falls  in 
on  the  S.  from  the  S.  E.  This  river  is  navigable  for  small 
Indian  canoes,  but  very  rapid  near  the  entrance,  where 
there  is  famous  sturgeon-fishing  in  the  spring — indeed,  it 
may  be  said  to  last  all  summer,  unless  the  water  is  very  low, 
which  was  the  case  at  present.  Near  the  entrance  of  this 
river  are  the  remains  of  an  old  wintering  habitation,  now 
fallen  to  the  ground.  Here  we  were  in  great  expectation 
of  finding  Indians,  but  were  disappointed ;  not  one  fresh 
sign  was  to  be  seen.  We  proceeded  up  Rivifere  du  Lac 
Rouge  on  foot,  leading  our  horses  by  the  bridles,  the  wood 
and  the  underbrush  being  too  thick  and  strong  to  permit  rid- 
ing. We  cut  across  the  points  of  land,  by  which  means  we 
were  often  near  the  river.  This  river  here  runs  from  E.  to 
W.,  is  broad  but  shallow,  and  often  interrupted  by  chains 
and  reefs  of  stones  which  run  across  from  shore  to  shore ;  in 
some  places  are  rapids  about  half  a  mile  long,  over  which  a 
small  Indian  canoe  would  find  some  difficulty  in  passing. 
But  it  must  be  observed  this  is  a  year  of  extraordinarily  low 
water,  as  the  Indians  tell  me  there  is  generally  water  enough 
in  this  river  for  large  canoes  to  pass  with  full  loads.  The 
river  now  making  a  great  bend  in  coming  from  N.  to  S., 

Henry's  R.  aux  Marais),  passed  through  a  plain,  and  thus,  by  a  route  mostly 
identical  with  Henry's,  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Clearwater  at  li  a.  m.,  Sun- 
day, Mar.  asth,  1798.  There  he  found  the  house  of  "  Monsr.  Cadot,"  whom 
he  also  calls  "  Mons.  de  Chaddo."  Cadotte  was  at  home  with  his  wife  ; 
a  "  Mons.  Le  Terns  "  was  the  opposition  trader.  Accompanied  by  Cadotte, 
Thompson  made  an  ineffectual  attempt  to  reach  Red  1.  by  way  of  Red  Lake  r. ; 
Finding  the  road  impracticable  at  that  season,  they  returned  to  the  house  Mar. 
31st.  There  Thompson  stayed  a  week,  when,  on  Apr.  8th,  he  "bade  adieu  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cadot,"  and  started  for  Red  1.  by  way  of  Clearwater  r.  He 
reached  the  lake  Apr.  17th,  and  then  passed  on  over  to  the  Mississippi  by  way 
of  Turtle  r.  Cadotte's  house  of  the  previous  season,  1796-97,  had  been  on  Red 
1. ,  a  short  distance  S.  of  the  exit  of  Red  r.  from  that  lake  ;  Heniy  speaks  of  this 
establishment  beyond. 


TO  THE   MOUTH   OF  THIEF  RIVER. 


129 


we  left  it  here  and  gained  the  plains,  where  we  mounted  our 
horses,  crossed  over  a  low  level  plain  of  about  four  miles, 
when  we  again  fell  among  small  poplars  and  willows,  then 
on  large  wood,  and  immed!?.ttly  after  came  down  to  the 
river  at  a  place  called  Campement  de  Plumb,  opposite  Liard 
[Cottonwood]  river,  which  comes  in  here  on  ^he  opposite 
side  of  Red  Lake  river.     Here  also  we  expected  to  find 
Indians,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  any.   Red  and  fallow  deer 
are  very  numerous.    They  have  beaten  paths  in  the  woods 
like  those  of  the  buffalo  on  the  banks  of  Red  river.     It  ap- 
pears also  that  bears  have  been  very  plentiful,  by  marks  on 
the  oak  trees  and  fruit  bushes.     Here  we  stopped  for  the 
night  [on  the  E.  bank  of  Red  Lake  river,  at  or  near  St. 
Hilaire,  Polk  Co.].     The  river  runs  from  N.  to  S.,  and  is  very 
rapid  and  shallow,  but  broader  than  below.    The  banks  are 
low  and  well  wooded  with  the  elm,  liard,  oak,  poplar,  and 
bois  blanc.     My  Indian  guide  was  anxious  for  me  to  return, 
saying  we  should  find  no  Indians  this  side  of  Red  lake.   But 
having  come  so  far  for  nothing,  I  was  determined  to  search 
one  day  more,  when,  if  we  did  not  find  them,  we  would  re- 
turn.    He  tells  me  there  is  but  one  other  place  where  there 
is  any  prospect  of  finding  them,  about  half  a  day's  journey 
higher  up  the  river,  at  the  entrance  of  Rivifere  aux  Voleurs. 
Oct.  zgth.    At  sunrise  we   mounted  and   set  off.     The 
country  near  the  river  is  covered  with  small  poplars  and 
willows,  so  intricate  as  to  oblige  us  to  seek  the  open  coun- 
try, which  we  found  was  little  better  than  that  near  the 
river,   the  grass  being  long,  and  frequently  boggy.     Our 
course  for  some  time  was  N.  W.,  when  we  bore  to  the  N., 
and  then  to  the  £.,  which  is  the  course  on  which  this  river 
comes  from  Red  lake  ;    the  country  is  low  and  level,  with 
stunted  woods  and  small  meadows.    There  are  a  few  pretty 
rl  iing  grounds  that  run  N.  and  S.,  on  which  nothing  grows 
but  short  grass ;  these  are  the  only  pleasant  spots.    They 
are  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide,   some   less. 
Deer  of  both  kinds  are  numerous,  but  especially  red  deer. 
At  one  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Riviere  Voleuse  or  aux  Voleurs 


t 

IK 


;mi 


P 


130 


IN  CAMP  AT  THIEF  RIVER. 


h^ 


(qui  match  it  erck  qui  we  scipei)."  Here  we  found  an 
Indian's  tent,  the  master  ot  which  was  surprised  to  see  us, 
and  at  first  took  us  for  Sioux  from  our  being  on  horseback, 
as  he  knew  of  no  person  who  had  horses  in  this  part  ->f  the 
country  but  the  enemy.  The  poor  fellow  was  so  alarmed 
on  perceiving  us  that  he  scarcely  knew  what  to  do — whether 
to  defend  himself  or  to  fly ;  but  we  were  soon  near  him  and, 
observing  his  consternation,  dismounted  and  called  to  him 
that  we  were  friends.  Here  we  determined  to  remain ;  so 
we  fettered  our  horses  and  sent  them  to  feed. 

The  Indian,  who  is  a  young  man,  informs  us  that  he  has 
been  away  from  Red  lake  nearly  a  moon,  and  that  he  left 
all  the  Indians  waiting  there  for  a  trader  whom  they 
expected  to  come  by  way  of  Fond  du  Lac ;  but  as  the 
water  was  so  very  low  he  supposed  they  could  not  get 
through.  At  all  events,  he  said,  he  expected  his  relatives 
to  join  him  soon,  as  they  were  to  pass  the  winter  about  this 
place,  whence  some  of  them  would  venture  to  hunt  beaver 
and  bear  at  Lake  Craw-shaw-bau-way-gaw-maw,"  which 
lies  to  the  S.,  a  few  miles  W.  of  I'Eau  Claire,  where  fallow 
deer  also  abound.  This  is  the  longest  lake  hereabouts, 
being  upward  of  three  leagues  long,  but  narrow.  The  true 
maple  [Acer  saccAarinum],  grows  in  great  plenty  along  this 
lake,  and  it  would  be  a  capital  place  for  making  sugar,  were 
it  not  for  the  Sioux,  who  frequently  come  here  in  search  of 
the  Saulteurs.  Buffaloes,  moose,  red  deer,  fallow  deer,  and 
bears,  are  numerous,  and  there  is  plenty  of  fish  in  the  lake, 
particularly  large  pike  and  dor^.  He  also  informed  us 
that  some  of  them  were  to  winter  northward  on  Lac  aux 
Voleurs,  at  the  source  of  this  small  river. 

This  lake  and  river  I  am  told  derive  their  name  from  an 
incident  which  occurred  many  years  ago,  when  the  Saul- 
teurs obliged  the  Sioux  to  abandon  this  part  of  the  country 

'*  So  copy,  as  the  Indian  phrase  equivalent  to  the  French  terms  of  the  text — 
Thief  r.,  Thieving  r.,  or  R.  of  Thieves,  already  mentioned,  at  the  junction  of 
which  with  Red  r.  Henry  camps. 

"  Perhaps  that  lake  in  Polk  Co.  in  the  vicinity  of  a  place  called  Maple  Bay. 


RETURN  TO  PARK   RIVER  POST. 


131 


and  move  southward.  But  a  few  Sioux  families  secreted 
themselves  in  the  woods  about  the  lake,  where  they  con- 
tinued to  hunt  beaver  for  some  years  after  all  the  rest  of 
their  people  had  fled  to  the  Mississippi.  They  were  dis- 
covered by  the  Saulteurs,  who  either  drove  them  down  this 
river  or  destroyed  them.  One  thing  certain  is  that  about 
80  years  ago  the  Saulteurs  and  Sioux  were  in  perfect 
enmity  [amity  ?],  and  both  inhabited  the  country  eastward, 
more  particularly  Leech  lake  and  its  environs,  which  is 
considered  the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi. 

Our  Indian  host  had  speared  some  excellent  sturgeon  and 
piccancan,  of  which  he  invited  me  to  take  what  I  would. 
He  had  also  plenty  of  dried  meat  and  a  few  beaver  skins. 
I  gave  him  some  tobacco  for  his  friends  when  they  should 
arrive,  and  desired  him  to  tell  them  I  should  be  happy  to 
see  them  at  my  place,  when  they  had  killed  a  few  beaver. 
Maymiutch  assured  them  there  was  no  danger  from  Sioux. 

Oct.  joth.  Early  this  morning  I  bid  the  young  man 
fa.ewell,  telling  him  I  hoped  to  see  him  and  his  friends 
at  my  house  with  plenty  of  skins  to  trade.  He  smiled, 
but  said  nothing.  Having  no  further  occasion  to  keep 
along  the  river,  we  took  our  course  directly  homeward, 
about  W.  N.  W.,  passing  through  trembliers  [aspen 
groves — Populus  tretnuloides],  willows,  t^tes-de-femme  [tus- 
socks of  long  grass],  and  small  meadows  until  twelve 
o'clock,  when  we  came  to  the  open  plain.  At  dusk  we 
arrived  at  our  camp  of  the  27th. 

Oct.  J  1st.  At  daybreak  we  saddled,  mounted,  and  came 
on  at  a  round  gallop  and  trot,  by  the  same  road  we  passed 
in  going.  We  saw  plenty  of  bulls  and  red  deer,  but  did 
not  attempt  to  kill  any.  At  four  o'clock  we  arrived  oppo- 
site the  fort,  and  were  at  once  ferried  over,  with  our 
horses.  The  poor  beasts  were  much  fatigued,  having  trav- 
eled hard  since  they  left,  mostly  over  bad  roads.  Soon 
after  my  arrival  my  hunter  came  in  with  three  very  fat  red 
deer.  I  gave  Maymiutch  some  liquor,  and  they  both  began 
to  drink,  but  I  was  not  apprehensive  he  would  attempt  to 


I- 


.  ! 


i1 


tV'*'^>"  '"■•-< 


..^ — •''■<«.,l-l'-l>l' 


132 


ACCIDENT— RUMORS  OF  WAR— DISPUTE. 


seduce  him  away.  I  fcund  tuat  Desmarais  had  been  visited 
during  my  absence  by  a  party  of  Saulteurs  from  Portage 
la  Prairie,  who  proposed  to  return  with  their  families  to 
their  own  land  during  the  winter,  and  had  come  thus  far 
ahead  to  see  if  there  were  any  danger.  The  Indians  from 
the  hills  also  had  been  in  with  a  few  beaver  skins  and  some 
d6pouilles  ;  they  had  seen  no  Sioux,  contrary  to  our  appre- 
hension when  we  saw  the  smoke.  It  was  themselves  who 
had  made  it,  by  accident.  My  men  had  nearly  finished  cut- 
ting their  firewood  ;  they  had  made  a  number  of  traps  and 
been  very  successful,  particularly  in  taking  raccoons  and 
foxes.  My  sick  man  was  much  better ;  but  another  had 
split  his  thumb  with  an  ax  in  a  shocking  manner,  and 
having  neglected  it,  the  wound  was  in  a  sad  condition. 
I  washed  it  with  sal  ammoniac  until  it  bled,  when  the  poor 
fellow  was  dancing  with  pain,  and  swore  he  would  rather 
have  it  cut  off. 

Desmarais  told  me  the  Indians  were  forming  a  war-party 
below  us,  near  the  Bo5s  Perc6,  where  several  of  them  are 
tented.  Langlois'  Indians,  and  some  of  mine,  were  to  be 
joined  by  a  party  of  Crees  and  Assiniboines,  who  were  to 
assemble  at  my  establishment  at  the  mountain,  very  soon. 
I  did  not  like  this  news,  being  apprehensive  they  would 
trouble  our  people  there,  and,  perhaps,  even  pillage  them. 

This  evening  a  warm  dispute  between  Desmarais  and  the 
men  arose,  concerning  their  trapping.  It  seemed  that  the 
former  had  encroached  on  the  latter's  premises — that  is,  he 
had  set  a  line  of  traps  on  the  same  track,  and  within  a  few 
1  dred  yards  of  a  line  they  had  previously  made ;  this 
!  considered  as  an  infringement  upon  their  rights,  and 
s'  »re  they  would  break  his  traps  if  he  continued  to 
Lugthen  his  tracks.  The  dispute  was  getting  serious,  when 
they  proposed  to  refer  it  to  me.  I  soon  put  an  end  to 
their  argument  by  telling  them  that  this  time  I  would  pass 
over  what  had  been  said,  but,  in  the  future,  the  first  one 
who  raised  a  dispute  about  rights  and  privileges  would  be 
deprived  of  the  liberty  of  visiting  his  traps,  and  so,  if  they 


^  ■'■ 


RUSH  MATS— MAD  WOLVES. 


133 


wished  to  hunt,  they  had  better  agree  amongst  themselves. 
This  evening  th*;  Indians  were  drinking  very  quietly. 

Saturday,  Nov.  zst.  At  twelve  o'clock  two  young  men 
came  in  from  the  Bois  Perc6.  I  inquired  what  the  Indians 
were  doing.  They  told  me  the  principal  men  were  prepar- 
ing for  war,  whilst  the  women  were  making  mats  for  the 
winter.  These  mats  are  made  with  long  rushes,  which  are 
laid  parallel  on  smooth,  level  ground  ;  threads  of  the  inside 
bark  of  bois  blanc,  of  the  thickness  of  sturgeon  twine, 
are  then  passed  through  each  rush,  and  all  are  drawn 
so  close  together  as  to  shed  rain.  They  are  made  from  1 2 
to  18  feet  long,  and  5  or  6  wide.  With  these  mats  the 
Saulteurs  construct  their  winter  tents  and  cabins.  They 
are  warm,  yet  airy,  and  far  more  comfortable  than  the  birch 
bark  covering  or  the  leather  tents  of  the  Meadow  Indians. 
The  Saulteurs  use  bark  for  the  summer  only,  as  it  makes  a 
cooler  cabin  than  the  rush  mats,  and  is  much  lighter  and 
less  bulky.  I  gave  my  people  each  a  dram,  this  day  being 
considered  amongst  them  as  a  great  fete.  The  Indians 
went  back  to  their  camp. 

Sunday,  Nov.  2d.  Last  night  the  wolves  were  very 
troublesome ;  they  kept  up  a  terrible  howling  about  the 
fort,  and  even  attempted  to  enter  Maymiutch's  tent.  A 
large  white  one  came  boldly  into  the  door  and  was  advanc- 
ing toward  a  young  child,  when  he  was  shot  dead.  Some 
of  tl.em  are  very  audacious.  I  have  known  them  to  follow 
people  for  several  days,  attempt  to  seize  a  person  or  a  dog, 
and  to  be  kept  off  only  by  fire-arms.  It  does  not  appear 
that  hunger  makes  them  so  ferocious,  as  they  have  been 
known  to  pass  carcasses  of  animals,  which  they  might  have 
eaten  to  their  fill,  but  they  would  not  touch  flesh ;  their 
object  seeming  to  be  that  of  biting.  The  Canadians  swear 
that  these  are  mad  wolves,  and  are  much  afraid  of  them. 

Nov.  3d.  Early  this  morning  I  sent  two  men  to  the  salt 
lake  with  two  large  kettles,  to  make  salt ;  but  they  never 
having  been  there,  I  was  obliged  to  go  with  them.  There- 
forC;  about  an  hour  after  they  were  off,  I  mounted  and  rode 


"1 


m'  - 


»34 


SALT   M>KIN(i— HUNTING — BRIDGE  BU'LDING. 


'I 

6' 


I 


1  ■  : 


iv- 


after  them.  On  examining  the  lake,  we  found  the  water 
too  shoal  to  dip  without  disturbing  the  muddy  bottom. 
We,  therefore,  pitched  upon  the  little  creek  by  which  it 
discharges  into  Park  river ;  but  here  the  water  was  muddy 
and  thick,  requiring  to  be  strain -^d  through  a  piece  <i 
woolen  stufT.  I  left  my  men  at  work  cutting  wood  and 
enjoying  the  comfortable  camp.  I  attempted  to  cross 
Park  river  to  chase  a  herd  of  buffalo,  but  it  was  impossible 
to  find  a  place  where  my  horse  could  get  through.  I  had  a 
stick,  six  feel  long,  which  I  ran  into  the  mud  and  clay  up 
to  my  hand,  without  finding  any  hard  bottom.  I  was 
obliged  to  give  up  crossing;  but  chased  a  herd  of  bulls, 
and  killed  a  tolerably  fat  one.  Maymiutch  here  joined  me  ; 
he  had  been  hunting,  but  had  killed  nothing.  As  it  was 
not  far  from  the  fort,  I  gave  him  the  animal  to  cut  up,  and 
sent  his  family  for  it.  I  took  only  the  tongue.  In  tying  it 
on  behind  me,  my  knife  ran  through  my  hand  and  cut  my 
thumb  severely.  On  returning  I  found  two  Indians  from 
the  hills,  with  30  beaver  skins ;  they  paid  their  debts.  I 
gave  them  liquor,  and  they  began  to  drink.  Soon  after, 
Tabashaw,  with  six  others  of  Langlois'  Indians,  came  on  a 
visit,  being  camped  at  the  Bois  Perc6.  They  soon  got  a 
dram  from  those  who  had  liquor,  and  then  troubled  me 
all  the  evenini^f  for  more ;  but  I  would  not  give  them  a 
drop,  as  I  was  displeased  with  them  for  having  left  Reed 
river  and  remained  idle.  Tabashaw  and  I  had  some  hard 
words  ;  however,  they  availed  him  nothing. 

Nov.  4th.  The  Indians  set  off  early  to  return  to  their 
tents.  I  gave  them  a  nine-gallon  keg  of  liquor,  on  condi- 
tion they  would  return  to  Red  river,  hunt,  and  pay  their 
debts.  They  made  me  many  fine  promises.  I  sent  all  my 
men  to  make  a  bridge  of  logs  over  Park  river,  so  that  I 
could  cross  with  my  horse  to  the  S.  side,  should  I  wish  to 
hunt  in  that  quarter. 

.  One  of  Maymiutch's  children,  who  was  running  about  the 
fort,  fell  into  a  heap  of  red-hot  embers  that  had  been  left 
by  burning  chips  and   other  rubbish.     It  was  some  time 


1^ ' 


CHILD   BURNED — MICE— BULLY   BEATEN. 


135 


a 
a 


to 


before  he  was  perceived  by  his  mother,  when  he  was  taken 
out  in  a  shocking  condition.  The  father  instantly  pounded 
and  chewed  a  certain  root  and  bark,  which  he  sprinkled 
over  the  burns  afcer  he  had  thoroughly  moistened  them  by 
taking  water  in  his  mouth  and  blowing  it  out.  He  then 
covered  the  whole  with  a  quantity  of  swan's  down  and  put 
the  child  to  rest. 

We  are  plagued  by  great  numbers  of  mice,  which  destroy 
almost  everything  but  metals ;  our  strouds  and  blankets  are 
nearly  all  damaged,  and  they  even  carry  off  our  beads.  At 
night  we  see  them  running  in  droves  over  the  floor ;  they 
are  not  shy  in  the  least.  They  often  awake  us  by  scamper- 
ing  over  our  faces  and  playing  on  our  beds. 

Nov,  5th.  I  sent  two  men  in  a  small  canoe  up  river 
to  hunt  ducks  and  other  wild  fowl,  of  which  there  are 
plenty.  My  hunter  killed  a  bear,  which  I  sent  for.  All 
hands  were  out  tending  their  traps.  The  two  men  returned 
with  a  few  wild  fowl. 

Nov.  6th.  Two  of  my  men  had  a  boxing  match,  or  rather 
a  rough  and  tumble  fight.  One  of  them  had  been  taking 
too  many  airs  upon  himself,  bullying  those  whom  he  knew 
were  not  an  equal  match  for  him,  and  had  used  some  of  them 
very  ill.  This  morning,  when  he  as  usual  commanded  one 
to  go  for  water  and  cook,  another  man,  who  was  as  strong 
as  himself,  and  with  whom  the  bully  had  always  been  on 
friendly  terms,  got  up  and  told  him  if  he  wanted  water  he 
should  go  for  it  in  his  turn ;  that  the  young  men  would  no 
longer  be  his  slaves ;  and,  since  they  were  not  strong  enough 
to  defend  themselves,  he  would  take  their  part.  A  chal- 
lenge was  the  consequence.  To  the  joy  of  everybody,  the 
bully  got  a  beating  which  made  him  as  quiet  as  a  child, 
and  the  others  began  to  crow  over  him.  This  afternoon 
arrived  from  Riviere  Vbleuse  the  Indian  I  had  seen  there, 
Le  Pendu ;  he  informed  me  that  some  of  the  Red  Lake 
Indians  had  arrived  there,  and  promised  to  see  me  in  the 
course  of  the  winter.  He  told  me  no  trader  had  reached 
Red  lake  when  they  came  away  and  also  that  three  Indians 


I 


I 


i 


136 


LE   I'ENDU— SAGACITY  OF  BUFFALO. 


f!  ' 


had  gone  down  Rivi&re  du  Lac  Rouge  to  hunt  beaver  below 
Black  river ;  he  supposed  they  would  keep  on  to  Grandes 
Fourches,  where  they  would  abandon  their  canoes  and 
return  to  Riviere  Voleuse  by  land  with  their  beaver  skins  on 
their  backs.  He  was  positive  they  would  not  come  here, 
as  they  traded  with  the  Opposition,  and  would  carry  their 
hunt  to  Leech  lake.  This  information  determined  nie  to 
go  in  search  of  "hem  myself.  I  wished  him  to  go  with  me, 
but  u!?  r '  Hi-;  m<>ny  excuses,  such  as  having  sore  legs,  etc., 
thot  -i  1  .>ii'"ithit  fear  was  the  real  cause  of  his  being  so 
backv.  'ul  i  applied  to  Maymiutch  to  accompany  me, 
but  he  was  afr  )>  '  to  leave  his  child,  whose  burns  were  very 
bad ;  otherwise  he  would  go  with  pleasure.  Late  in  the 
evening  Charlo  arrived  on  Crow's  mare ;  he  brought  ten 
bears'  skins  and  a  few  d^pouilles  from  Hair  hills. 

Nov.  yth.  Le  Pendu  returned  early.  I  sent  a  fathom 
of  tobacco  to  the  Indians  by  him.  Mayimutch  with  his 
family  embarked  and  went  down  river  to  join  those  at 
Bois  Perc^.  Charlo  went  out  to  look  for  his  mare,  but  did 
not  find  her  until  late,  and  thought  proper  to  remain  here 
all  day.  So  no  Indians  were  camped  here  but  my  hunter. 
My  men  took  great  numbers  of  fat  raccoons  in  their  traps. 
We  saw  a  great  herd  of  cows  going  at  full  speed  southward, 
but  on  coming  to  our  track,  which  goes  to  the  salt  lake, 
they  began  to  smell  the  ground,  and,  as  suddenly  as  if  they 
had  been  fired  at,  turned  toward  the  mountain.  It  is  sur- 
prising how  sagacious  those  animals  are.  When  in  the 
least  alarmed  they  will  smell  the  track  of  even  a  single  per- 
son in  the  grass,  and  run  away  in  a  contrary  direction.  I 
have  seen  large  herds,  walking  very  slowly  to  pasture,  and 
feeding  as  they  went,  come  to  a  place  where  some  persons 
had  passed  on  foot,  when  they  would  instantly  stop,  smell 
the  ground,  draw  back  a  few  paces,'bellow,  and  tear  up  the 
earth  with  their  horns.  Sometimes  the  whole  herd  would 
range  along  the  route,  keeping  up  a  terrible  noise,  until  one 
of  them  was  hardy  enough  to  jump  over,  when  they  would 
all  follow  and  run  some  distance. 


(  , 


CHARLO  AND  HENRY  START  UP  RIVER. 


137 


1  I 

;   I 

1  ; 


This  evening  I  had  a  long  conversation  with  Charlo.  He 
is  a  great  rogue,  but  I  was  obliged  to  trust  him  for  the 
present,  and  with  some  difficulty  persuaded  him  to  accom- 
pany  me  in  search  of  the  Indians  about  Grandes  Fourches. 
He  told  me  it  was  dangerous,  and  hoped  I  would  reward 
him  well  for  his  trouble  should  we  return  safe.  I  promised 
him  half  a  keg  of  liquor  if  he  would  set  off  to-morrow 
morning  with  me  and  take  the  mare  with  him.  He  was 
afraid  his  brother  would  be  displeased.  However,  the 
liquor  was  too  great  a  temptation  ;  so  he  consented  to  risk 
his  life  and  his  brother's  displeasure.  We  accordingly  pre- 
pared to  depart,  which  required  no  great  r^^remony ;  some 
shoes  were  all  we  needed,  with  a  gallon  ;  1  '  h  wine  and 
a  fathom  of  tobacco  for  the  Indians,  if  v  ^  fou  .    them. 

Nov.  8th.  We  were  up  early,  saddle^" ,  .  'cI  Sst  off,  taking 
one  other  man  along  on  the  black  l.s*.  We  crossed 
Park  river  on  the  bridge  and  procetdec  through  a  low 
meadow  overgrown  with  willows,  wh'  ^  anpear  to  run  out 
in  the  plains  for  three  miles.  At  te  .  c  clock  we  came  to 
Salt  river ; '"  there  the  willows  ended  in  fine  open  country. 
We  had  some  difficulty  in  getting  our  horses  over,  as  they 
sank  in  the  mud  up  to  their  bellies,  and  one  of  them  stuck 
fast.  It  was  eleven  o'clock  before  we  got  him  out.  which 
we  did  by  cutting  a  quantity  of  long  grass  to  su*^  him. 
We  were  mud  and  dirt  up  to  the  eyes.  Made  *  .e  and 
refreshed  ourselves.  Salt  river,  like  its  neighbor.  Park 
river,  takes  its  waters  in  the  Hair  hills,  where  it  comes 
down  fresh  and  sweet,  halfway  to  the  level  plain,  where  it  is 
increased  by  small  streams  issuing  from  salt  ponds,  and 
soon  after  makes  a  perfect  brine ;  which,  after  a  winding 

'*  Or  Big  Salt  r. ,  as  it  is  also  called  now,  for  which  see  note  *,  p.  95. 

The  mouth  of  Salt  r.  is  given  by  Thompson  as  the  site  of  Roy's  N.  W.  Co. 
house,  at  which  he  arrived  at  9.30  a.  m.,  Thursday,  Mar.  a2d,  1798.  Roy  was 
at  home,  and  Thompson  stayed  overnight  before  crossing  Red  r.,  en  route  to 
Red  1.  and  the  Mississippi.  What  Roy  this  was,  of  the  dozen  or  more  who 
figure  in  the  annals  of  those  times,  we  are  not  informed — possibly  the  same 
one  who  had  the  house  on  Cass  1.,  at  which  Pike  stayed  Feb.  I2th-I4th,  1806  : 
see  Pike,  ed.  1895,  p.  157.     Henry  nowhere  mentions  Roy'^  '.lOuse  on  Red  r. 


'II, J 

n 


I 


; 

lii 


138 


BIG  SALT   RIVER— TURTLE   RIVER. 


^ 


I 


hW  '. 


'H 


til 


■S 


f 


course,  empties  into  Red  river.  The  banks  are  par. 
tially  wooded.  At  twelve  o'clock  we  continued  on  a 
fine  level  plain,  keeping  the  line  of  wood  of  Red  river 
near  us  on  the  left.  We  saw  buffalo  and  red  deer  in 
great  abundance,  but  did  not  molest  them.  We  next 
came  along  a  narrow  marais,'*  which  runs  about  five 
leagues  on  the  edge  of  the  wood,  from  nearly  the  entrance 
of  Salt  river  to  that  of  Turtle  river  it  is  full  of  wild  fowl, 
feeding  on  the  plentiful  wild  rice.  We  shot  a  few  ducks, 
which  were  excessively  fat.  We  then  came  to  the  entrance 
of  Turtle  river,"  which  falls  in  from  the  S.,  running  about 
six  miles  on  a  line  with  Red  river,  before  it  empties  into 
the  latter.  We  proceeded  along  its  banks  to  the  elbow, 
which  niakes  a  sudden  bend  in  turning  N.  from  the  W. 
We  were  some  time  looking  for  a  good  crossing  place,  but 
found  none,  this  river  being  of  the  same  nature  as  Salt  and 
Park  rivers ;  like  them,  it  rises  in  the  Hair  hills,  by  three 
branches,  which,  having  joined,  both  its  soil  and  water 
change.  The  fine  gravel  and  sandy  bottoms  turn  into 
muddy  clay,  and  the  clear,  sweet  stream  into  a  muddy 
brine,  which  issues  from  a  larf^e  salt  marsh  to  the  S.,  I2 
miles  in  length  and  one-fourth  of  a  mile  broad.  This  marsh, 
which  lies  about  halfway  between  Red  river  and  the  Hair 
hills,  is  a  famous  place  for  buffalo,  as,  indeed,  are  all  salt 
lakes  and 'marshes.  We  had  much  trouble  in  crossing  ;  my 
man  was  pitched  over  his  horse  into  the  mud  and  water, 
and  cut  a  most  pitiable  figure.    The  Indian  waded  over, 

'*  This  is  Morse's  slough,  on  which  is  situated  Walshville,  Walsh  Co.,  N. 
Dak.  It  is  what  would  be  called  on  the  Lower  Mississippi  a  chenal  icarU,  or 
•*  snicarty." 

*o  This  "  neighbor"  of  Salt  r.,  as  Henry  aptly  calls  it,  arises  by  N.  and  S. 
forks  in  the  VV.  of  Grand  Forks  Co.,  N.  Dak.,  on  and  somewhat  over  the 
border  of  Nelson  Co. ,  and  loops  through  the  former  county  to  fall  into  Red  r. 
in  the  N.  E.  comer  of  the  N.  E.  township  of  that  county.  About  5  m.  above 
its  mouth  is  the  town  of  Turtle  River,  and  from  this  point  a  narrow  slough 
connects  with  Red  r.,  some  6  m.  higher  up  the  latter,  or  halfway  to  the  town 
of  Grand  Forks.  A  branch  of  the  name  of  English  cr.  joins  Turtle  r. ,  at  or 
near  the  station  Manvel,  where  the  railroad  crosses  the  river.  Henry  camps 
to-day  near  this  place. 


GRAND   FORKS  OF   RED   KIVBK. 


139 


and  led  his  mare  by  the  cord.  My  horse  was  strong  and 
active ;  I  ventured  In,  and  got  safe  through  without  a 
ducking.  Here  we  thought  proper  to  stop  for  the  night, 
as  there  was  a  pond  of  fresh  water  near  us — none  of  the 
sweetest,  but  rather  foul  and  stagnant ;  but  it  was  too  late 
to  go  to  Red  river.  We  saw  buffalo  and  red  deer  in  every 
direction.  The  country  is  smooth  and  open,  without  u 
stick  to  be  seen,  except  the  woods  of  Red  river,  and  some 
spots  along  Turtle  river.  Our  Indian  advised  us  to  be  on 
our  guard  during  the  night,  to  have  our  guns,  fresh  primed, 
alongside  us,  not  to  sleep  too  hard,  and  on  the  least  noise 
to  jump  up.  We  had  seen  several  wounded  animals  in  the 
course  of  the  day,  but  supposed  it  to  have  been  done  by 
some  of  our  people. 

Sunday,  Nov.  gth.     Charlo  was  in  no  hurry  to  proceed 
this  morning  *,  he  said  we  must  be  cautious,  as  it  was  all  level 
open  country  ahead,  and  the  grass  was  short ;  the  enemy 
might  discover  us  at  a  distance,  hide  along  the  bank  of  the 
river,  and  knock  us  over  en  passant.    At  nine  o'clock  we 
set  out,  holding  the  same  S.  course  as  yesterday.    We  made 
a  traverse  to  reach  Red  river;   when  we  came  near  the 
woods  we  crossed  a  small  creek,  which  comes  E.  from  the 
plains.     Buffalo  and  red  dee"  were  not  so  numerous  as  yes- 
terday ;  this  makes  our  Indian  uneasy,  as  he  tells  me  we 
are  approaching  a  place  on  the  annual  war  road   of  the 
enemy,  where  they  have  been  known  to  remain  for  nearly 
a  month  at  a  time,  watching  for  any  Indians  that  might  be 
coming  down  Riviere  du  Lac  Rouge  [to  the  present  site 
of  Grand  Forks].     We  kept  ne.ir  the  wood,  soon  entered  it, 
and  went  on  with  great  precautions  until  we  cams  opposite 
Grandes   Fourches,  or   entrance   of   the    Riviere   du    Lac 
Rouge,  which  falls  in  from  the  E.,  and  is  about  the  same 
breadth  as  Red  river,  which  keeps  its  direction  from  the  S. 
They  both  appear  very  crooked.     The    soil,  banks,  and 
muddy  beach   are  the  same  as  below,  and  so  are  the  large 
woods,  with  the  addition  of  bois  inconnu  and  prickly  ash 
[Xanthoxy/um  americanuni],  of  which  there  is   an    abun- 


f 


I! 


1^ 


ii 


•  ■^j-.'*  T*W«  *!»k,-i«»rf»r-**''t*t*  •M»*^i»*f«»  ^mV*' 


140        8IOUX  CAMP  AT   MOUTH   OF  RED   LAKK   KIVKK. 


dance.  The  water  appears  very  deep  at  the  confluence,  and 
my  guide  tells  me  that  many  sturgeon  winter  here  ;  we  saw 
several  jump.  Our  first  object  was  to  look  for  any  sign  of 
the  enemy.  We  saw  several  old  war  camps,  and  a  range 
of  elm-bark  cabins,  which  our  guide  tells  me  were  erected 
last  summer  by  the  Sioux,  who  remained  nearly  a  month. 
We  found  also  a  camp  of  this  summer,  of  about  lOO  men, 
who  had  been  here  before  the  leaves  were  full  grown  ;  but 
we  sav/  no  fresh  tracks.  Near  this  last  war  camp  was  a 
great  quantity  of  horse  dung,  and  stakes  driven  into  the 
ground  to  fasten  their  horses.  Being  satisfied  there  was  no 
enemy  near,  we  determined  to  stop  for  the  night,  in  hopes 
of  seeing  the  Indians  we  were  pursuing.  We  assisted 
Charlo  to  make  a  raft,  on  which  he  crossed  Red  river  to 
search  for  them.  My  man  and  myself  arranged  a  snug 
camp,  and  boiled  some  fat  ducks  for  supper.  There  were 
plenty  of  wild  fowl  here,  but  we  did  not  fire,  for  fear  of 
alarming  any  Indians  who  should  be  within  hearing ;  these 
ducks  were  the  remainder  of  yesterday's  hunt. 

About  dusk  our  Indian  returned ;  he  had  been  some  dis- 
tance up  the  E.  branch,  but  saw  no  sign  of  anybody.  He 
found  several  beaver  cabins  along  the  river,  but  none  had 
been  worked ;  this  made  me  suppose  the  Indians  had  not 
yet  come  thus  far.  I  therefore  proposed  to  wait  a  few 
days  in  hopes  of  their  arrival ;  but  this  did  not  please  our 
guide.  I  then  told  him  I  was  anxious  to  see  Goose  river,  as 
I  wished  to  send  my  Indians  there  in  the  spring  to  hunt 
beaver,  and  I  would  be  pleased  if  he  would  go  with  me. 
He  started  many  objections.  However,  I  prevailed  upon 
him  to  accompany  me,  on  condition  I  would  give  him  a 
treat  of  high  wine  on  our  return  to  this  place,  where  I 
intended  to  leave  the  small  keg  en  cache.  He  informed  me 
that  the  country  on  the  E.  side  is  the  same  as  on  the  W., 
open  and  level,  with  no  wood  excepting  that  on  the  banks 
of  the  river. 

Nov.  loth.  At  daybreak  we  mounted  and  proceeded 
along  the  wood,  cutting  from  point  to  point,  on  a  fine  level 


SAND   IIILI.   KIVER. 


I4t 


plain.     At  sunrise  we  could  distinguish  the  Hair  hills  on 
the  right.    They  appear  high  and  barren  ;  no  wood  sccins 
to  grow  on  them  S.  of  Park  river,  excepting  that  on  the 
banks  of  the  different  branches  of  the  small  rivers.     Those 
blue   stripes  of    wood   of    Turtle    river,  running    up   the 
mountain,  formed  a  delightful  contrast  this  morning  with 
the  barren  straw-colored  hills ;  but  as  the  sun  rose,  it  van- 
ished.    Buffalo  are  not  very  numerous ;  we  seldom  see  a 
herd  of   cows.     Red  deer  are  seen  continually  in  droves 
near  the  woods.     At  one  o'clock  we  came  opposite  Riviere 
aux  Buttes  de  Sable  [Sand  Hill   river  *'],  which  comes  in 
from  the   E.      Near  the  entrance  of   this  little   river  the 
wood  suddenly  ceases  on  both  sides  of  Red  river  for  about 
a  mile ;  then  it  begins  again  for  a  half  a  mile,  again  ceases 
for  the   same   distance,  and  once  more  begins.     Intervals 
of  this  kind  become    more    frequent  as  wc  proceed.     At 
this  first  open  space  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  plains  on 
both  sides  of  Red  river,  and  of  the  course  of  Riviere  aux 
Buttes  de  Sable,  whose  wood  soon  ends.    This  small  river 
derives  its  name  from  some  barren,  sandy  hills  about  1 5 
leagues  to  the  £.;  it  takes  its  water  out  of  the  same  low 
boggy  country  and  small  lakes  whence  Riviere  I'Eau  Claire 
does,  but,  taking  a  more  direct  western  course,  passes  S.  of 
Lake  Craw-shaw-bau-way-gaw-maw,  and  within  a  few  miles 
of  that  lake.     In  the  upper  part,  in  the  strong  wood,  this 
river  is  of  some  considerable  breadth  and  has  high  banks ; 
but  as  it  approaches  the  plains,  it  dwindles  away  until  it  is 
lost  in  a  large  marsh,  on  the  W.  side  of  which  it  reappears ; 
and  it  is  only  a  creek  where  it  empties  into  Red  river.     At 
four  o'clock  we   reached  the  entrance  of  Goose  river,  or 
Riviere  aux  Outardes  [at  Caledonia,  Traill  Co.,  N.  Dak."] 

*'  Henry  describes  the  river  well.  It  heads  in  marshes  about  the  S.  E.  cor- 
ner of  Polk  and  N.E.  comer  of  Norman  Co.,  Minn.,  but  after  that  runs  entirely 
v/)  the  latter  (excepting  a  dip  into  Norman  at  the  N.  W.  comer  cf  the  White 
Earth  Indian  Reservation),  on  an  average  due  W.  course.  Two  railroads  cross 
it,    ear  places  called  Fertile  and  Edna. 

**  Goose  r.,  including  its  tributaries,  arises  in  Nelson  Co.  and  western  parts  of 
Grand  Fork  Co. ,  whence  it  enters  Steele  Co. ,  in  which  its  ma'T.  i'orks  join  ;  it 


li, 


142 


GOOSE   RIVER. 


Here  we  stopped  for  the  night — indeed  this  wa*  Lhe  extent 
of  our  journey  to  the  S.,  as  nothing  could  induce  our  guide 
to  cross  Goose  river.  For  we  were  near  the  enemies'  land ; 
we  had  seen  several  war  camps  during  the  day,  and  here 
we  found  the  sign  of  30  tents  of  last  year,  which  our 
guide  assured  me  was  a  Sioux  camp.  We  saw  also  poles 
on  which  they  had  stretched  beaver  skins,  old  broken 
horse-trayailles,"  some  tent-poles,  and  plenty  of  horse- 
dung.  Goose  river  takes  its  water  from  the  Hair  hills,  in 
small  lakes  and  large  marshes.  It  has  several  branches, 
but  three  principal  ones,  which  join  a  short  distance  after 
leaving  Hair  hills.  The  water  is  fresh,  and  the  bed  hard 
with  stones,  gravel,  and  sand ;  its  course  is  very  winding. 
Beavers  appear  to  be  very  numerous,  but  we  kept  as 
quiet  as  possible,  made  no  Hre,  fired  no  gun,  and  held  our 
horses  always  near  us ;  while  the  Indian  was  continually 
on  the  lookout  from  the  tops  of  the  oaks.  We  crossed 
Goose  river  here  without  any  trouble,  and  I  climbed  up  one 
of  thp  highest  trees  to  have  a  view  southward.  The  country 
appeared  the  same  as  that  we  had  passed  through,  open 
and  level,  with  no  woods  to  be  seen,  excepting  those  on 
Red  and  Goose  rivers.    The  former  holds  its  course  from 


then  traverses  Traill  Co.,  on  S.  E.  and  finally  G.  courses.  The  main  stream  is 
crossed  in  three  places  by  railroads — at  Portland,  Mayville,  and  Hillsboro,  all 
in  Traill  Co.  The  county  seat  of  the  latter,  Caledonia,  is  situated  on  the 
river,  close  to  its  mouth.  At  this  point  Henry  is  just  about  60  m.  in  an  air  line 
from  his  fort,  a  little  E.  of  S. 

*'  Travail  &  cheval,  pi.  travails  <}  cheval,  literally  horse-litter,  also  called  in 
English  travail,  travaifle,  travois,  traverse,  and  travee.  It  is  a  sort  of  drag 
much  used  by  Indians,  voyageurs,  and  coureurs  in  the  Northwest.  It  consists 
of  two  long  poles,  sometimes  of  several  Indian  lodge-poles,  one  end  of  each  or 
all  of  which  is  fastened  to  the  horse's  side,  while  the  other  drags  on  the  ground. 
The  poles  of  opposite  sides  are  connected  by  cross-pieces,  or  otherwise  lashed 
together,  and  a  sacking  of  canvas  or  hides  may  be  stretched  between  the  poles 
to  complete  a  litter  for  the  reception  of  a  person  or  oth?r  things.  The  French 
plural  is  often  erroneously  gi-^n  as  travaux,  as  if  it  were  the  plural  of  travail, 
meaning  "work";  but  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  this,  the  etymology  of  the 
word  being  from  Lat.  trabeculum,  diminutive  of  trahs,  a  beam,  through  such 
forms  as  travallum  and  trabale,  meaning  a  trave,  brake,  or  shackle. 


WILD   RICE   RIVER. 


143 


the  S.,  and  the  latter  from  the  W.  The  wood  is  not  so 
long  or  large  as  below.  The  oaks  are  stunted,  the  elms, 
liards,  etc.,  are  small ;  the  soil  appears  more  sandy ;  the 
bed  of  Red  river  is  firm  and  frequently  stony ;  the  reaches 
are  short  and  very  crooked ;  the  bends,  sudden.  It  is 
here  about  half  as  wide  as  at  Pembina  river,  but  has 
plenty  of  water. 

A  few  miles  above,  on  the  E.,  is  Riviere  k  la  Folle  Avoine 
[Wild  Rice  river  **],  navigable  for  small  Indian  canoes.  This 
river  takes  its  water  from  a  lake  of  the  same  name  in  the 
strong  woods,  but  soon  enters  the  plains,  where  it  runs  a 
winding  course,  receiving  several  small  streams;  its  low 
banks  are  tolerably  well  wooded.  A  short  distance  N.  of 
this  river,  soon  after  it  eaters  the  plains,  is  a  large  spot  of 
wood  called  La  Grosse  Isle  de  la  Riviere  k  la  Folle  Avoine, 
a  famous  place  for  fallow  deer.  The  country  on  the  E.  is 
ver»;  low  for  12  or  15  leagues,  when,  on  approaching  the 
pines  and  strong  wood,  we  meet  with  some  sandy  rising 
grounds  and  barren  hillocks.     Beavers  are  numerous  along 


**  The  principal  drainage  of  Norman  Co.,  Minn.,  heading  in  the  marshy  east- 
ern part  of  that  county,  and  also  somewhat  over  its  boundary  in  Becker  and 
Beltrami  cos.  Its  ultimate  sources  thus  closely  approach  the  sources  and 
uppermost  courses  both  of  the  Red  r.  itself  and  of  the  Mississippi.  Most  of  the 
lakes  referred  to  are  comprised  within  the  present  White  Earth  Indian  reserva- 
tion, which  occupies  portions  of  all  three  of  the  counties  named ;  some  are  just 
over  that  divide  between  Hudsonian  and  Mexican  waters  which  is  known  as 
Nicollet's  Height  of  Land.  The  general  course  of  Wild  Rice  r.  is  W.  for  75  m. 
or  more,  representing  about  the  direct  distance  between  Red  r.  and  Lake  Itasca  ; 
but  in  approaching  Red  r. ,  Wild  Rice  r.  divides  in  two  channels,  whose  mouths 
are  some  10  m.  apart.  This  division  occurs  in  the  vicinity  of  Ada,  seat  of  Nor- 
man Co.,  and  both  channels  are  crossed  by  the  G.  N.  Ry.  near  their  separation. 
The  main  channel  loops  between  Goldner  tnd  Perry,  and  then  past  Hendrum, 
to  fall  into  Red  r.  close  to  Halstad,  Minn.,  and  Hague,  N.  Dak.  The  other 
channel  runs  more  directly  N.  W. ,  to  fall  in  about  a  mile  below  Henry's  position 
at  the  mouth  of  Goose  r.,  and  thus  nearly  opp.  Caledonia,  N.  Dak.  This  other 
channel  is  known  now  as  Marsh  r.,  being  that  Riviere  aux  Marais  which  Henry 
describes  beyond:  see  note*'.  Ada  is  on  this  Marsh  r.,  as  are  also  places  called 
Marsh  River  and  Colenso.  The  N.  P.  R.  R.  crosses  Wild  Rice  r.  above  its 
separation  in  two  channels,  at  Heiburg.  Other  names  of  the  river  have  been 
Manominee  and  Pse. 


:> 


t;      :l 


ii 


;  1 


i 


144 


CHEYENNE   RIVER  AND  INDIANS. 


this  river,  and  from  the  number  of  small  branches  which  fall 
into  it,  they  cannot  be  destroyed  for  many  years  to  come. 
Large  animals  are  also  in  great  numbers. 

Beyond  this  river,  about  I2  leagues  by  land,  is  Schian 
[Cheyenne**]  river,  on  the  W.  This  derives  its  name  from 
a  formerly  numerous  tribe  of  Indians,  who  inhabited  its 
upper  part.  They  were  a  neutral  tribe  between  the  Sioux 
and  the  Saulteurs  for  many  years ;  but  the  latter,  who  are 
of  a  jealous  disposition,  suspected  they  favored  the  Sioux. 
A  very  large  party  having  been  once  unsuccessful  in  discov- 
ering their  enemies,  on  their  return  wreaked  their  vengeance 
on  those  people,  destroying  their  village  and  murdering 
most  of  them.  This  happened  about  60  years  ago,  when 
the  Saulteurs  were  at  war  with  their  natural  enemies,  the 
Sioux  of  the  Plains,  who  are  the  only  inhabitants  of  St. 
Peter's  river.  The  Schians  having  been  nearly  extermi- 
nated, abandoned  their  old  territories  and  fled  southward 
across  the  Missouri,  where  they  are  now  a  wandering  tribe. 
Their  numbers  have  increased  suprisingly.  They  are  gen- 
erally in  amity  with  their  neighbovs,  the  Gens  de  Vache, 


If' 


**This  Cheyenne  r,,  not  to  be  confounded  with  a  large  tributary  of  the  Mis- 
souri  of  the  same  name,  is  by  far  the  longest  branch  of  Red  r.  Its  main  course, 
or  what  Henry  calls  the  North  Fork,  arises  on  the  Coteau  de  Missouri,  nearly  or 
quite  as  far  W.  as  the  longitude  of  Bismarck,  N.  Dak. ;  runs  N.  E.  in  Wells 
Co.  and  E.  in  Benson  Co.,  and  in  Eddy  Co.  forms  the  whole  S.  boundary  ot  ilic 
present  Devil's  Lake  Indian  reservation  (with  a  little  overlapping  it.  P^msey 
Co.).  It  continues  E.  in  Nelson  Co.,  turns  S.  through  Griggs  and  Baik^esinto 
Ransom  Co.,  meanders  the  latter  very  crookedly  eastward,  cont'nues  E. 
through  Richland  Co.,  and  when  about  lo  m.  from  Red  r.  turns  N.  into  Ca'^ 
Co.,  and  runs  N.  in  the  latter,  nearly  parallel  with  Red  r.,  to  fall  in'o  the  last 
named  river  about  lo  m.  N.  of  Fargo.  In  all  this  long  and  very  circuitous 
course,  Cheyenne  r.  receives  no  very  notable  tributaries,  as  its  drainage  area  is 
exceptionally  narrow  for  its  length,  being  hemmed  in  on  the  N.  and  E.  by  var- 
ious rivers  we  have  already  rehearsed,  and  on  the  S.  and  W.  by  Jacques, 
James,  or  Dakota  r.  The  principal  branch  is  ihe  united  stream  of  M.^ple  r.  and 
Rush  r.,  which  falls  in  in  Cass  Co.,  only  6  or  8  m.  N.  W.  of  Fargo.  As  will  be 
seen  further  on,  Henry  considers  Cheyenne  r.  to  be  the  N.  one  of  two  "princi- 
pal branches  "  which  compose  Red  r. ,  his  S.  branch  being  Red  r.  itself  above 
the  mouth  of  the  Cheyenne.  The  forms  of  the  name  are  very  numerous, 
Keating,  p.  39,  has  Shienne  or  Shahiada  r. 


I'S  ■ 


fiOIS  DES  SIOUX   RIVER. 


145 


the  Panis  [Pawnees],  the  Tetons  (a  tribe  of  Sioux  on  the 
Missouri),  and  the  Mandanes. 

Red  river  has  two  principal  branches;  the  north  one 
[Cheyenne  river]  takes  its  water  out  of  a  large  marsh  and 
some  small  lakes  about  i  S  leagues  from  the  Missouri,  where 
there  are  no  woods — nothing  but  a  few  willows.  It  runs  E. 
within  a  few  miles  of  Lac  du  Diable  [Devil's  lake],  oppo- 
site which  it  begins  to  have  well-wooded  banks ;  and  as  it 
increases  in  siz'~,  the  valley  spreadi.<  and  the  banks  are  high. 
This  branch  is  navigable  only  for  small  canoes,  in  the 
spring,  when  the  water  is  high.  Beavers  are  more  numerous 
than  elsewhere ;  grizzly  bears  are  to  be  seen  in  droves  ;  and 
it  may  be  called  the  nursery  of  buffalo  and  red  deer.  It  is 
a  delightful  country,  but  seldom  can  our  Saulteurs  kill  a 
beaver  there  without  falling  in  with  their  enemies,  who  are 
no  great  beaver  hunters. 

The  South  branch  [Red  river  itself"]  takes  its  water  from 

'*  Henry  is  noting  the  origin  of  Red  r.  as  it  was  in  his  day  and  long  after- 
ward supposed  to  be — in  Lake  Traverse,  which  separates  the  N.  E.  comer  of 
South  Dakota  from  Traverse  Co.,  Minn.  Lake  Traverse  comes  very  close  to 
Big  Stone  1.,  a  principal  source  of  the  Minnesota  or  St.  Peter's  r.,  and  in  a 
certain  sense  the  two  great  rivers  do  lay  their  heads  together:  for  some  details  of 
this  approximation  of  two  lakes,  one  discharging  ultimately  into  Hudson's  bay 
and  the  other  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  see  Lewis  and  Clark,  ed.  1893,  p.  89, 
Bui:  at  a  place  on  Red  r.  called  Breckenridge,  seat  of  Wilkin  Co.,  Minn.,  a 
river  comes  in  from  the  E.  whose  course  is  veiy  much  longer  than  what  is  left  of 
Red  r.  above  that  place.  Theretore,  tAis  is  the  main  continuation  of  Red  r., 
and  what  remains  of  the  old  Red  r.  between  Breckenridge  and  Lake  Traverse 
takes  a  different  name — Bois  des  Sioux  or  Sioux  Wood  r. — a  phrase  found 
as  "  Boise  de  Sioux  "  on  the  latest  G.  L.  O.  map  of  Minnesota.  The  origin  of 
this  name  is  found  in  a  certain  gruvc  or  clump  of  trees,  called  Bois  des  Sioux, 
which  was  "  supposed  to  be  the  northernmost  limit  of  the  undisputed  property 
of  the  Sioux  on  Red  River,"  Keating's  Long,  II.  1824,  p.  13.  This  section 
was  also  called  shortly  Sioux  r. — a  name  which  sometimes  extended  much 
further  down  Red  r. ,  in  the  debatable  land  which  was  claimed  both  by  Sioux 
and  Ojibways.  Sioux  r.  is  said  by  Keating,  iiid.,  p.  12,  to  be  called  by  the 
Sioux  themsehes  Kantoko,  "from  a  thicket  of  plum  bushes  near  its  head." 
The  Bois  des  Sioux  is  said  to  have  been  about  9  m.  up  the  river  of  that  name, 
i.e.,  that  distance  above  its  confluence  with  the  main  branch  from  Otter  fail  1. 

On  this  understanding,  Red  r.  now  comes  from  the  E.  through  ^Yi!kin  Co., 
from  Otter  Tail  Co.,  Minn.,  and  its  course  is  traced  upward  a  long  way  further 


I 


I*: 


■!i' 


1 40 


OTTER  TAIL  FORK  OF  RED   RIVER. 


a  chain  of  lakes,  which  by  means  of  one  or  two  short  carry- 
ing-places  communicates  with  the  St.  Peter's  river.  This 
branch  at  some  seasons  is  navigable  for  large  ^anoes,  and  is 
the  country  where  Sioux  are  generally  to  be  found  at  ^ny 
season.  Its  course  is  winding  and  in  some  places  rapid, 
and  after  passing  within  sight  of  Montagne  de  Chef  forms 
a  junction  with  the  north  branch  [Cheyenne  liver]  just  as 
they  enter  the  level  country.  Several  other  branches  empty 
into  it,  but  none  from  any  great  distance.  From  the  forks 
downward  it  is  a  fine  river,  with  a  sandy  botton  and  some 
rapids,  and  is  navigable  for  large  canoes. 


still — past  Fergus  Falls,  and  on  to  Otter  Tail  1.,  the  largest  one  in  the  county — 
past  this  to  Rush  1. — on  to  Pine  I.  and  Little  Pine  1. — still  on  through  lakes  out 
of  Otter  Tail  Co.,  into  Becker  Co. — northward  further  to  the  so-called  Height 
of  Land  1. — onward  through  more  lakes,  into  the  White  Earth  Indian  reserva> 
tion — there  through  Round  1.,  Many  Point  1.,  Elbow  1.,  and  others — over  the  line 
into  Beltrami  Co.,  in  the  S.  W.  corner  of  which  are  the  sources  of  the  Red 
River  of  the  North,  fully  abreast  of  the  source  of  the  Mississippi  in  latitude, 
and  only  f^ome  I2  or  15  m.  due  W.  of  Lake  Itasca  itself!  These  upper  reaches  of 
Red  r.  have  not  long  been  fully  established,  though  in  their  main  features  they 
have  been  known  as  Otter  Tail  r.  They  would  not  be  imagined  from  the  latest 
G.  L.  O.  map  of  Minnesota,  which  cuts  off  Red  r.  before  it  comes  even  as  high 
as  Fergus  Falls,  and  turns  it  into  the  course  of  its  principal  branch  from  the  N., 
called  Pelican  r. ;  but  they  are  carefully  delineated  on  the  Jewett  map.  One  of 
the  larger  collateral  sources  of  Red  r.  is  Toad  r.,  which  comes  S.  from  Toad  1. 
into  Pine  1.  The  most  practically  important  relation  between  Red  and  Mis- 
sissippian  waters  is  probably  that  between  Oiter  Tail  1.  and  Portage  1.,  connect- 
ing Red  r.  with  sources  of  Crow  Wing  r.  Even  so  bare  an  outline  as  this  will 
show  that  Bois  de  Sioux  r.  is  by  no  means  the  true  Red  r.  above  Brecken- 
ridge,  but  merely  the  discharge  of  Lake  Traverse  into  Red  r.  Once  again  :  far 
as  we  have  thus  traced  the  fishhook  bend  of  Red  r.  'n  Minnesota,  it  does  not 
compare  in  length  with  Cheyenne  r.  in  North  Dakota.  The  source  of  the 
Cheyenne  is  the  most  remote  origin  of  Red  r. — just  as  the  source  of  the  Missouri 
is  the  most  remote  origin  of  the  Mississippi. 

The  principal  tributary  u(  Lake  Traverse  is  one  named  Muslinka  r.  on  the 
latest  G.  L.  O.  map  of  Minnesota  ;  upon  this  is  Whcaton,  seat  of  Traverse  Co., 
Minn.  The  word  means  hare  or  rabbit ;  thus,  we  read  in  Keating's  Long,  II. 
1824,  p.  7  :  "we  stopped  to  dine  upon  the  banks  of  what  is  termed  Mushtincha 
Watapan,  (Hare  River.)"  But  Rabbit  r.  is  present  name  of  the  next  stream 
below,  mainly  in  Wilkin  Co.  Lake  Traverse  was  once  the  site  of  a  H.  B.  Co. 
post,  a  m.  from  its  head,  at  the  very  place  where  Long  found  one  of  the  Colum- 
bia Fur  Co.,  in  1883,  Hid.,  p.  226,  and  pi.  6. 


BUFFALO  AND  WILD  RICE   RIVERS. 


147 


On  leaving  Riviere  des  Schians  we  soon  reach  Riviere 
aux  Bceufs  [now  BuiTalo  river  "]  from  the  E.  This  has  two 
principal  branches;  one  from  the  S.  E.  and  the  other  from 
the  N.  E.;  they  both  take  their  water  out  of  a  number  of 
small  lakes  in  the  strong  wood,  and,  after  a  long  winding 
course  through  the  open  plain,  join  within  about  five 
leagues  of  Red  river.  This  river  is  also  navigable  for  small 
canoes,  and  large  ones  have  been  known  to  ascend  the  E. 
branch  in  the  spring,  when  the  waters  were  high. 

About  seven  leagues  by  land  beyond  this  river,  Rivifere 
aux  Oiseaux  Puants  or  Vulture  river**  comes  in  from  the  W. 


'*  The  reader  will  remember  that  Henry  is  not  traveling  now — he  has  stopped 
in  his  camp  on  Goose  r.,  and  is  only  going  on  paper.  Buffalo  r.  is  a  large 
forked  stream,  whose  main  course  flows  from  Buffalo  1.  and  others  in  the  maze 
of  lakes  in  Becker  Co.,  Minn.,  in  and  near  the  southern  part  of  the  White 
Earth  Indian  reservation,  runs  N.  W.,  turns  S.  W.  into  Hawley  Tp.  of  Clay 
Co. ,  continues  nearly  W.  till  it  receives  its  main  fork  from  Otter  Tail  Co. , 
through  Clay  Co.,  and  from  their  junction  flows  about  N.  W.  into  Red  r.  at 
Georgetown,  Clay  Co.,  Minn.,  opp.  Trysil,  Cass  Co.,  N.  Dak.  The  N.  P. 
R.  R.,  going  E.  from  Moorhead,  crosses  the  S.  fork  of  Buffalo  r.  at  Tenny,  and 
afterward  crosses  and  re-crosses  the  main  or  E.  fork  at  or  near  Stock  wood, 
Muskoda,  Hawley,  and  Winnipeg  Junction.  The  mouth  of  Buffalo  r.  is  a  few 
miles  lower  down  Red  r.  than  that  of  the  Cheyenne,  instead  of  being  higher  up, 
as  Henry's  text  implies  in  saying  that  we  reach  Buffalo  r.  after  leaving  the  Chey- 
enne.    Nicollet  marks  Buffalo  r.  with  the  alternative  name  Pijihi. 

'•  The  "stinkinf;  birds"  here  said  are  turkey-buzzards  {Catharles  aura).  This 
river  is  now  cnlljd  Wild  Rice  r. — to  be  distinguished  from  all  those  so  named  in 
Minnesota.  Nicollet  uses  the  alternative  name  Psihu  ;  this  is  the  same  Sioux 
word  as  the  Pse  of  note  *';  Keatii.g  calls  it  Pse  r.,  p.  39.  Tanner,  p.  142, 
■peaks  of  "  the  Gaunenoway,  a  considerable  river  which  heads  in  the  Chief 
Mountain,  and  runs  into  Red  River,  several  days' journey  from  Lake  Traverse." 
This  "  Gaunenoway  "  stands  for  Manominee.  Tanner  a1  as,  p.  140:  "Due 
west  from  Lake  Traverse,  and  at  the  distance  of  two  da\  ivel,  is  a  mountain, 
called  Ogemahwudju  (chief  mountain),"  i.  e.,  Henry's  M 
as  source  of  this  Wild  Rice  r.  The  stream  flows  main 
Dak.,  where  for  a  long  distance  it  closely  hugs  the  W. 
C,  M.,  and  St.  P.  R.  R,  between  the  two.  It  enters 
Red  r.  a  few  miles  above  Fargo  ;  towi.  or  sta.  Wild  ^  ire  at  its  mouth. 

Above  the  mouth  of  Wild  Rice  r..  Fort  Abercroml  \^  as  establ  shed  pursuant 
to  A.  of  C,  Marrh  3d,  1857,  and  orders  from  hdqi  .  ot  the  an  ly,  June  24th, 
1857,  at  a  point  on  the  W.  bank  of  Red  r.  12  m.  N,  of  the  coniiuence  of  Bois 
des  Sioux  and  Otter  Tail  rivers,  the  intention  being  to  build  near  the  head  of 


igne  de  Chef,  given 

u  Richland  Co.,    N. 

of  Red  r. — with  the 

V.  ass  Co.,  and  falls  into 


\    'i 


-k  III 


I ;' . 


1 


148 


FORT  ABERCROMBIE— PELICAN   RIVER. 


I'' 


This  small  stream  takes  its  water  by  several  branches  in  the 
environs  of  Montagne  de  Chef ;  its  course  is  very  crooked, 
running  through  a  fine  open  country,  with  p-'rtially  wooded 
banks.  Beavers  are  numerous  here  ;  Charlo  informs  me  he 
saw  plenty  two  summers  ago,  on  a  war  excursion,  when  they 
crossed  this  river  southward  in  search  of  the  enemy.  Be- 
yond this  small  river  wood  soon  ceases  on  both  sides  of  Red 
river;  for  about  15  leagues  only  stunted  willows  are  seen. 
The  country  is  beautiful,  level,  and  open ;  the  soil  barren 
and  sandy,  with  some  stones.  Montagne  de  Chef  is  on  the 
W.;  it  here  takes  that  name,  but  it  is  the  same  ridge,  run- 
ning in  the  same  direction  as  the  Hair  hills ;  only  the  latter 
loses  its  wood  at  Park  river,  and  is  all  barren  ground  until  it 
reaches  this  well-wooded  mountain. 

Soon  after  reaching  wood  again  on  Red  river,  we  arrive 
at  Pelican  river,"  from  the  E.  This  is  navigable  for  small 
canoes,  and  even  large  ones  have  ascended  it  in  the  spring. 
It  receives  its  water  from  several  considerujle  lakes,  the 
principal   of  which   are   Pelican   lake,  Lac  de  Bois  Blanc 

navigation,  "  in  the  vicinity  of  a  place  known  as  Graham's  Point,  Minn."  The 
position  is  nearly  opposite  places  now  called  McCauleyville  and  Kent,  Minn. 
The  Chic,  Milw.  and  St.  P.  R.  R.  •  ns  through  the  site.  The  name  stands 
"  Ambercombie  "  on  a  map  before  me.  Lt.  Col.  J,  J.  Abercrombie  arrived  on 
the  spot  Aug.  28th,  T858,  and  the  troops  were  quarte.-ed  for  the  winter  of  1858- 
59.  The  post  was  abandoned  July  25th,  1859  '<  re-occupied  July,  i86o ;  attacked 
by  Sioux,  Sept.  3d  and  Sept.  6th,  1S62  ;  building  finished  in  Feb.,  1863  ;  it  was 
operative  in  1873,  when  I  last  heard  of  it. 

"  Pelican  r.  is  pvesent  name  of  that  branch  of  Red  r.  which  runs  S.  from 
Pelican  and  other  lakes  in  becker  and  Otter  Tail  cos.,  and  falls  into  Red  r. 
a  little  v.  of  Fergus  Falls.  But  this  does  not  seem  to  be  exactly  the  stream 
which  H  nry  means,  and  there  is  some  further  difficulty  in  following  out  the 
remainder  of  the  account  of  Red  r.  which  Henry  gives,  as  will  be  remembered, 
upon  hearsay  evidence.  For  example,  I  do  not  know  what  ''  Lac  de  Travers" 
he  mentions  in  this  connection  ;  or  what  his  "  Riviere  aux  Schaitake"  can  be, 
unless  it  be  present  Pelican  r.;  or  how  Red  r.  can  be  said  to  have  a  "  direct 
course,"  "  due  N."  from  Otter  Tail  1.  to  Lake  Winnipeg,  considering  the  fish- 
hook bend  we  have  traced,  note'*.  Waiving  some  such  points  as  these,  which 
do  not  seem  clear,  we  find  Henry  presenting  a  good  outline  of  the  traverse /ar 
raile  de  corbeau  from  the  Otter  Tail  waters  of  Red  r.  to  the  Crow  Wing  branch, 
of  the  Mississippi ;  and  we  may  take  his  account  on  this  main  understanding 
without  further  criticism  in  detail. 


CONNECTIONS  OF   RED  RIVER  IN   MINNESOTA.       I49 


ed. 


[Basswood  lake],  and  Lac  dc  Travers  [Traverse  lake]. 
These  adjoin  the  strong  wood,  and  are  supplied  by  many 
rivulets.  Leaving  Riviere  aux  Schaitake  [sic],  Red  river 
becomes  shallow  and  rapid,  with  frequent  reefs  of  stone. 
There  is,  however,  no  fall  or  cascade,  but  continual  rapids. 
Passing  these  rapids,  which  are  navigable  for  large  canoes 
with  full  loads  of  70  pieces,  baggage  included,  we  come  to 
a  small  round  lake  [?],  which  is  crossed  from  N.  to  S.,  not 
more  than  a  mile,  when  a  short,  narrow  rivulet  succeeds  to 
Otter  Tail  lake  [Lac  k  la  Queue  de  Loutre].  This  is  the 
principal  source  of  Red  river,  and  is  about  nine  miles  in 
circumference ;  its  shores  are  partially  wooded,  and  the 
surrounding  country  is  level  and  open — on  the  whole,  a 
delightful  place. 

The  direct  course  of  Red  river,  from  Otter  Tail  lake  to 
Lake  Winipec  [Winnipeg],  may  be  said  to  run  due  N.,  or 
rather  W.  of  N.,  through  as  pleasant  a  country  as  there  is 
in  America,  with  plenty  of  water  for  navigation,  an  excel- 
lent, fertile  soil,  and  the  best  of  wood  for  every  purpose. 
Tall  oaks  are  to  be  found,  as  stra';.>;hi  as  a  reed,  without  a 
branch  for  30  to  50  feet  from  the  giounH.  The  Hard  is  of 
extraordinary  size ;  I  have  measured  them  of  seven  fathoms 
circumference,  at  five  feet  from  the  ground.  The  elm  and 
bois  blanc  are  also  very  large,  and  so  are  many  of  the  ashes. 
There  is  abundance  of  wood  on  the  banks  of  the  river  to 
answer  every  purpose  for  ages  to  come. 

On  the  S.  side  of  Otter  Tail  lake  is  a  portage  about  a  mile 
long,  through  a  fine,  open  plain  to  a  small  lake  ;  then  again 
a  short  portage  to  another  small  lake,  on  the  S.  side  of 
which  issues  a  small  creek,  running  southward,  and  soon 
falling  into  Leaf  lake,  which  is  of  no  great  size.  Here  com- 
mences Leaf  river,  which  is  broad,  shallow,  and  frequently 
interrupted  by  stones  and  rapids ;  but  large  canoes  can  pass 
with  ease,  full  loaded.  Having  run  E.  for  about  12  leagues, 
Leaf  river  enters  the  strong  wood,  the  meadows  stretching 
southward  ;  a  few  leagues  more,  and  it  empties  into  Riviere 
h  L'Aile  du  Corbeau  [Crow  Wing  river],  which  meets  it 


|i 


111' 
't| 

ifs 


I50 


END  OF  THIS  EXCURSUS. 


from  the  N.  L.  After  this  junction  it  bears  the  name  of  the 
latter  river,  and  then  becomes  more  navigable  ;  it  runs  a  S. 
E.  course  of  about  15  leagues  to  the  Mississippi,  which 
here  comes  in  from  the  N.  E.  Having  received  its  prin- 
cipal waters  from  Leech  lake,  Petit  Lac  Winipec  [Winni- 
bigoshish  lake],  [Upper]  Red  Cedar  [Cass]  lake,  and  a  num- 
ber of  smaller  lakes  and  rivers,  from  a  great  bend  toward 
the  S.  and  S.  E.,  where  it  receives  the  discharge  of  Sandy 
lake  [Lac  de  Sable],  the  Mississippi  then  turns  to  a  S.  W. 
course  until  it  receives  Riviere  k  L'Aile  du  Corbeau,  when 
it  takes  a  more  southern  direction,  receiving  innumerable 
small  rivers  in  its  course. 

But  to  return  to  my  journey.  We  passed  an  uncom- 
fortable night  ;  the  air  was  cold,  and  we  made  no  fire  for 
fear  of  being  discovered.  Every  wolf  or  other  animal  that 
came  near  us  we  supposed  was  the  enemy,  and  were  in  a 
state  of  alarm  the  whole  night. 

Nov.  nth.  We  took  a  farewell  view  of  the  country 
southward  from  the  top  of  a  large  oak.  The  mirage  was 
fine  as  the  sun  rose,  and  the  prospect  delightful.  Goose 
river,  on  the  right,  wound  over  the  plains  to  the  W.  until  it 
divided  into  several  branches,  which,  soon  after  reaching  the 
Hair  hills,  appeared  like  blue,  serpentine  stripes  across  the 
barren  ground  until  lost  to  view.  On  the  left.  Red  river 
stretched  southward  through  a  level  country  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach.  On  the  E.  side  appeared  the  level  plain, 
through  which  Folle  Avoine  river  ran,  until  the  wood  grew 
blue  and  was  lost  to  sight,  while  its  many  sudden  bends 
added  to  the  beauty  of  the  prospect. 

About  a  mile  below,  on  the  E.,  I  observed  the  small 
Riviere  aux  Marais"  [Marsh  river],  which  retained  its  wood 
only  four  or  five  miles  out  in  the  plain,  and  was  then  seen 
no  more.  I  also  had  a  glimpse  of  the  woods  on  the  Schian 
river,  to  the  S.  W.     In  every  direction  animals  were  seen — 

^  This  is  the  third  tributary  of  Red  r.  of  such  name.  But  this  Marsh  r.  is 
not  an  independent  river — merely  one  of  the  two  channels  into  which  Wild 
Rice  r.  divides  in  the  vicinity  of  Ada,  Norman  Co.,  Minn. 


RETURN  TO  CAMP  AT  GRAND   FORKS. 


•51 


buffalo  feeding  on  the  plain,  and  red  deer  in  the  edge  of 
the  wood  or  passing  through  the  open  spaces. 

My  guide  was  anxious  to  depart.  At  eight  o'clock  we 
set  out,  and,  without  making  halt  to  rest  our  horses,  we 
reached  our  camp  at  Grandes  Fourches  at  sunset.  Here  I 
was  obliged  to  treat  my  guide  with  high  wine  ;  he  was  soon 
intoxicated,  and  brave  as  a  lion,  saying  he  was  sorry  we  had 
seen  no  Sioux,  as  he  would  have  taken  some  scalps,  and 
even  offering  to  go  to  Otter  Tail  lake.  After  much  of  his 
boasting,  I  asked  him  once  more  to  go  with  my  man  up 
Riviere  du  Lac  Rouge  [Red  Lake  river]  to-morrow  in  search 
of  the  Indians.  He  offered  to  start  instantly  if  I  would 
give  him  the  keg  to  take,  in  case  he  should  find  them  ;  but 
this  would  not  do.  I  gave  him  an  extra  dose  of  undiluted 
high  wine,  and,  after  some  trouble  to  keep  him  from  cross- 
ing the  river,  which  he  attempted  to  do  several  times, 
in  intervals  of  running  toward  the  plain  and  calling  the 
Sioux  '  old  women,"  he  fell  asleep  exhausted. 

Nov.  I2th.  At  sunrise  the  Indian  and  my  man  crossed 
the  river  on  the  raft,  whilst  I  remained  to  take  care  of  our 
horses.  The  poor  beasts  required  rest.  I  gave  the  men 
proper  directions,  should  they  fall  in  with  the  Indians,  to 
bring  them  here.  I  slept  most  of  the  day.  At  sunset  my 
people  returned,  having  been  up  as  far  as  Deux  Rivieres  aux 
Marais."  two  small  parallel  rivers  on  the  S.  side  of  Red 
Lake  river.  At  the  entrance  of  one  of  them  they  found 
the  sign  of  some  persons  who  had  worked  the  beaver  lately, 
and  whom  the  Indian  believed  to  have  been  those  we 
sought;  he  said  that,  judging  by  the  marks  he  saw,  they 
had  returned  to  their  families. 

Nov.  ijth.  At  daybreak  we  were  on  horseback.  We  had 
some  trouble  to  cross  Turtle  river.  The  mud  was  frozen 
on  each  side,  but  the  crust  was  not  strong  enough  to  bear 
our  horses ;  their  legs  went  through,  and  they  were  in  danger 
of  being  hurt.     However,  we  got  over,  and  proceeded  to 

''  No  doubt  the  pair  of  small  streams  which  fall  into  Red  Lake  r.  from  the 
S.  in  the  vicinity  of  Fisher,  Polk  Co.,  Minn. 


ii 


I 


\ 


r.\     ' 


152 


RETURN  TO   PARK   RIVER   POST. 


I   i 


i 


I 


Ml' 


h 


Salt  river,  where  we  had  another  fine  piece  of  business, 
w  jrse  than  at  Turtle  river.  Charlo,  willing  to  show  his 
horsemanship,  attempted  to  drive  through  on  his  mare  at  a 
round  pace ;  but,  before  she  got  halfway  over,  she  plunged 
her  nose  into  the  mud  and  fell  on  her  side.  Charlo  came 
souse  into  the  water  at  full  length.  We  had  some  trouble 
to  get  her  out ;  but  he  stood  ferryman  and  helped  us  over, 
when  we  mounted  and  went  on  at  a  gallop  to  warm  our 
horses.  Late  in  the  evening  we  arrived  safe  at  the  fort, 
heartily  glad  to  find  ourselves  at  home. 

But  my  joy  was  of  a  short  duration.  Two  of  Langlois' 
men  were  waiting  for  me,  with  word  that  a  number  of  Crees 
and  Assiniboines  were  daily  assembling  near  our  establish- 
ment at  Panbian  mountain.  They  had  some  furs,  and 
were  preparing  for  war.  Langlois  feared  they  might  do 
some  mischief  to  our  people,  as  some  of  the  young  Crees 
had  already  insulted  Hamel.  He  therefore  wished  mc 
to  go  and  see  how  matters  stood.  I  found  another 
cause  of  vexation.  My  hunter's  father-in-law  arrived  here 
yesterday  from  Red  lake,  without  a  skin  of  any  kind ;  his 
errand  was  for  his  gendre  [son-in-law]  to  return  with  him, 
and  he  would  accept  of  no  excuse.  This  will  be  some  loss 
to  me.  The  young  man  says  he  will  not  return  till  he  has 
skins  enough  to  pay  for  goods  I  have  advanced  him,  but 
I  do  not  believe  him.  Nau-bun-ai-jam  '*  tells  me  that  when 
he  left  the  lake,  some  time  ago,  Mr.  Jean  Baptiste  Cadotte 
was  making  the  Red  Lake  portage,  about  lo  miles  long, 
and  had  informed  the  Indians  he  would  winter  on  the  lake; 
but  that  many  of  them  had  left  on  their  way  to  this  place, 
having  heard  of  my  being  here. 

Nov.  J4th.  My  two  men  came  in,  having  made  two  kegs 
of  salt.     They  complain  of  the  bad  quality  of  the  water. 

I  had  my  three  canoes  put  in  safety  for  the  winter,  be- 
tween my  house  and  the  stockades,  bottom  upward,  on  three 
cross  poles,  and  well  covered  with  about  a  foot  thick  of  straw, 
having  loosened  the  ribs.     Old  Taon  and  family  arrived  from 

'*  No.  23  of  the  list  on  p.  54,  there  spelled  Naubeenvishcung. 


Sf 


TRIP  TO   LANGLOIS'   POST  AT   REED   RIVER.  1 53 

the  Bois  Pcrci  on  his  way  to  Salt  river.  As  I  was  certain 
my  hunter  would  leave  me,  I  arranged  with  Taon  to  hunt, 
paying  him  three  skins  per  animal  and  furnishing  ammuni- 
tion. I  desired  him  to  camp  near  Salt  river  and  hunt  red 
deer,  there  being  no  animals  near  the  fort  excepting  bulls, 
which  are  lean  and  indifferent  at  this  season. 

Nov.  /jtk.  My  little  hunter  and  his  father-in-law  set  off 
for  Rivi6re  aux  Vautours  [Vulture,  i.  f.,  Turkey-buzzard, 
river],  and  old  Taon  decamped  for  Salt  river  to  hunt.  At 
nine  o'clock  I  mounted  and  set  off  for  Langlois',  leaving 
Charlo  preparing  to  depart  for  his  tent  at  the  foot  of  the 
Hair  hills.  At  the  Bois  Perc^  I  remained  about  an  hour 
with  the  worthless  vagabonds,  who  do  nothing  but  play  at 
the  game  of  platter.  Nothing  is  heard  but  the  noise  of 
the  dish,  and  children  bawling  from  hunger ;  their  scoun- 
drelly fathers  are  deaf  to  their  cries,  until  necessity  obliges 
them  to  kill  a  bull  for  their  sustenance.  I  overtook  the 
two  men  I  sent  off  on  foot  this  morning  before  daylight. 
We  came  on  slowly  to  Panbian  river  and  encamped. 

Sunday,  Nov.  lith.  A  very  cold  morning,  the  ice  drift- 
ing in  large  bodies  in  Red  river.  On  arriving  opposite 
Reed  river,  we  had  some  difficulty  to  cross  among  the  drift- 
ing ice,  and  found  most  of  the  people  sick.  Langlois  had  a 
cold  and  cough,  his  wife  a  sore  hand,  and  their  daughter 
was  in  convulsions.  She  lies  senseless  for  half  an  hour  or 
more,  and  the  fit  occurs  twice  or  thrice  a  day.  When  it 
takes  her  she  lies  like  a  person  in  a  trance,  without  any 
struggle  or  contortions,  and  recovers  as  from  a  dream.  She 
is  about  10  years  of  age,  and  appears  otherwise  in  good 
health.  A  child  about  four  years  of  age  had  his  left  but- 
tock mostly  torn  of!  by  an  accidental  shot  in  an  Indian's 
cabin  a  few  days  ago  during  a  drinking  match.  He  is  now 
in  a  fair  way  of  recovery,  though  the  gun  was  loaded  with 
large  beaver  shot.  It  is  surprising  he  was  not  killed,  but  it 
seems  the  shot  passed  obliquely,  and  he  will  escape  with 
the  loss  of  a  few  pounds  of  flesh. 

Nov.  tjth.    This  morning  the  ice  was  sufficiently  strong 


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THENCE  TO   PEMBINA   MOUNTAINS. 


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V 


to  cross  on.  I  passed  a  tedious  day  amongst  the  sick  and 
lame.  In  the  afternoon  I  made  shift  to  crawl  over  the 
river  with  my  man,  in  search  of  my  horse,  and  brought  him 
down  to  drink.  He  was  troubled  with  lampers,  which  pre- 
vented him  from  drinking  freely.  My  man  sharpened  a 
piece  of  hard  dry  oak,  and,  putting  a  gag  in  the  mouth, 
pierced  the  part  affected  in  several  places;  it  bled  copi- 
ously. On  letting  him  loose  he  began  to  eat  with  a  good 
appetite.  Capot  Rouge  and  White  Partridge  arrived  from 
the  upper  part  of  Red  river,  with  30  skins  each. 

Nov.  i8th.  At  daybreak  Langlois  and  myself  crossed  on 
the  ice,  and  having  found  our  horses,  set  off  for  Panbian 
mountain.  Great  numbers  of  swans  were  passing  S. — almost 
one  continuous  flock  the  whole  day ;  I  was  astonished  to 
see  so  many.  At  sunset  we  arrived  at  the  house,  and  found 
our  people  well.  The  Crees  had  brought  a  good  trade. 
This  evening  two  of  them  arrived  on  horseback.  They 
brought  three  black  bear  skins  and  a  few  foxes.  They 
informed  me  the  war  party  had  failed,  and  been  put  off  till 
spring.  There  are  now  about  50  Crees  and  Snakes  at 
Pinancewaywining  river,  to  remain  till  February,  when  they 
will  return  to  the  Assiniboine.  I  gave  out  some  tobacco 
for  the  principal  men. 

Nov.  igth.  Early  we  set  off,  and  were  obliged  to  ride 
hard,  as  the  wind  was  very  cold.  We  arrived  early  at 
Red  river.  20th.  Very  cold,  and  about  six  inches  of  sno;v. 
I  sent  of!  my  men  on  foot  before  day ;  at  nine  o'clock  I  fol- 
lowed and  overtook  them.  The  cold  was  so  severe  that  I 
could  not  keep  on  my  horse,  but  was  obliged  to  run  and 
walk.    Shot  two  bulls,  and  camped  opposite  Two  Rivers. 

Nov.  2ist.  This  morning  early  we  were  on  our  way  in 
cruel  weather.  The  storm  had  increased  to  a  gale  from  the 
N.  W.  We  were  often  obliged  to  keep  in  the  woods,  and 
under  the  lee  of  the  banks,  for  shelter  from  the  piercing 
wind.  Riding  was  out  of  the  question,  as  none  of  us  were 
provided  for  such  cold  weather.  The  drifts  prevented  us 
(from  seeing  more  than  1 5  yards  ahead.     I  was  determined 


AND  BACK  TO  PARK  RIVER  POST. 


155 


id 

e 

•e 

IS 

d 


not  to  stop  at  the  Bois  Perc6,  so  I  made  i  short  turn  to  avoid 
the  Indian  camp  there,  and  at  four  o'clock  reached  the  fort, 
to  the  great  surprise  of  my  people,  who  had  supposed  it 
impossible  to  march  in  such  weather.  Nothing  had  hap- 
pened since  my  departure.  There  was  a  cow  herd  at  hand, 
but  our  hunters  were  killing  plenty  of  red  deer.  They  take 
no  more  raccoons  with  traps.  Those  animals  are  lodged 
in  hollow  trees,  where  they  will  remain,  like  bears,  until 
spring,  without  any  subsistence.  The  men  take  plenty  of 
foxes  and  wolves,  a  few  fishers,  and  a  chance  marten  ;  the 
latter  are  very  scarce. 

Nov.  22d.  My  chimney  smoked  intolerably ;  therefore, 
the  weather  being  moderate,  I  had  it  torn  down  and  built 
anew.  My  men  came  in  with  a  load  of  meat  from  the 
hunter's  tent.  Bulls  are  numerous.  Ten  Red  Lake  In- 
dians arrived  from  Riviere  aux  Voleurs;  amongst  them 
were  those  I  had  been  in  search  of  above.  They  brought  a 
tolerably  good  trade.  I  treated  them  well,  and  they  made 
great  promises — probably  more  than  they  will  perform. 

Sunday,  Nov.  2jd.  The  Indians  set  off  early  on  their 
return,  well  pleased  with  their  reception.  The  mice  destroy 
everything ;  they  eat  my  skins  and  peltries — indeed,  any- 
thing that  is  not  iron  or  steel  goes  down  with  them. 

Noit.  2ph.  My  men  making  dog  sleighs  to  haul  meat 
home.  They  have  excellent  oak  for  that  purpose.  Des- 
marais  making  snowshoes.  Bois  inconnu  is  the  best  wood 
we  have,  preferable  to  birch,  or  any  other  I  know  of.  It  is 
light,  and  bends  remarkably  well.  We  find  none  of  it  N.  of 
this  place,  but  the  further  S.  we  go  the  more  plentiful  it  is. 

Nov.  2Sth.  I  sent  two  men  early,  with  letters  to  Portage 
la  Prairie,  to  inform  our  gentlemen  to  the  N.  of  my  transac- 
tions in  this  quarter.  They  take  one  sleigh  and  two  dogs, 
to  draw  their  provisions  and  blankets.  I  directed  them  to 
proceed  to  Langlois,  and  thence  to  Hamel,  at  the  Hair 
hills,  where  I  hoped  they  would  get  a  guide  to  conduct 
them  to  Portage  la  Prairie.  Sent  my  people  off  for  meat. 
The  weather  having  been  mild  for  a  few  days,  the  snow  is 


•  1 


1  ir\ 


v.\ 


:h  a 


156 


YOUNG  MRS.  CROOKED   LEGS  AGAIN. 


entirely  melted  away.  Crooked  Legs  and  his  family  arrived 
from  below.  His  young  wife  is  now  perfectly  recovered, 
and  enjoys  a  glass.  All  who  had  any  skins  to  trade  held  a 
drinking  match,  during  which  the  lady  gave  her  old  hus- 
band a  cruel  beating  with  a  stick,  and  then,  throwing  him 
on  his  back,  applied  a  fire  brand  to  his  privates,  and  rubbed 
it  in,  until  somebody  interfered  and  took  her  away.  She 
left  him  in  a  shocking  condition,  with  the  parts  nearly 
roasted.  I  believe  she  would  have  killed  him,  had  she  not 
been  prevented ;  if  he  recovers,  it  v/ill  be  extraordinary. 
This  was  done  in  revenge  for  his  having  stabbed  her  some 
time  ago. 

Nov.  26th.  Indians  sober.  Crooked  Legs  too  ill  to  stir ; 
his  old  wife  waits  on  him,  and  the  young  one  makes  fun 
of  him.  zyth.  A  young  man  arrived  from  the  hills,  to 
inform  us  that  Charlo's  wife  died  suddenly  last  night.  He 
brought  a  few  skins  to  buy  rum  for  the  funeral,  to  drown 
their  sorrows,  and  lament  the  deceased  with  a  better  grace. 
He  returned  immediately  with  a  small  keg. 

Nov.  28th.  Two  men  from  Portage  la  Prairie  arrived 
with  the  two  I  had  sent  from  here  on  the  25th.  They 
met  at  Reed  river,  where  both  parties  arrived  the  same  day. 
They  bring  me  letters  from  all  my  friends  on  the  Assini- 
boine,  and  dispatches  from  Grand  Portage  of  Aug.  9th. 

I  find  myself  obliged  to  send  Desmarais  to  join  Mr. 
[Charles  Jean  Baptiste]  Chaboillez  at  Portage  la  Prairie. 
Larocque,  senior,  came  in  from  his  traps,  with  a  skunk,  a 
badger,  and  a  large  white  wolf,  all  three  caught  in  the  same 
trap  at  once,  as  he  said.  This  we  thought  extraordinary — 
indeed,  a  falsehood — until  he  explained  the  affair.  His 
trap  was  made  in  a  hollow  stump,  in  the  center  of  which 
there  was  a  deep  hole  in  the  ground.  He  found  the  wolf  just 
caught,  and  still  alive ;  he  dispatched  him,  and  on  taking 
him  out,  noticed  something  stirring  and  making  a  noise  in 
the  hole  in  the  ground.  Upon  looking  in  he  perceived  the 
badger,  which  he  killed  with  a  stick,  and  on  pulling  him  out, 
smelled  the  horrid  stench  of  the  skunk,  which  was  in  one 


WOLVES— SKUNKS— RACCOONS— BEARS. 


157 


corner  of  the  hole ;  he  soon  dispatched  him  also.  From 
this  the  Indians  all  predicted  some  great  misfortune,  either 
to  the  person  to  whom  the  traps  belonged,  or  to  our  fort. 
Some  supposed  the  Sioux  would  destroy  us  all. 

Nov.  zgth.  Desmarais  prepared  for  his  departure  with  a 
heavy  heart,  as  he  is  fond  of  this  place. 

Sunday,  Nov.  joth.  Men  and  Desmarais  preparing 
themselves.  I  intend  to  send  two  men  with  them.  Some 
went  raccoon  hunting,  the  weather  being  warm.  They 
returned  in  the  evening  with  seven,  which  they  had  found 
in  one  hollow  tree.  The  size  of  this  tree  was  enormous, 
having  a:  hollow  six  feet  in  diameter,  the  rim  or  shell  being 
two  feet  thick,  including  the  bark.  Raccoon  hunting  is 
common  here  in  the  winter  season.  The  hunter  examines 
every  hollow  tree  met  with,  and  when  he  sees  the  fresh 
marks  of  the  claws,  he  makes  a  hole  with  an  ax,  and  thus 
opens  the  hollow  space,  in  which  he  lights  a  fire  to  find  out 
if  there  be  any  raccoons  within,  as  they  often  climb 
trees  in  the  autumn,  and,  not  finding  them  proper  for 
the  purpose,  leave  them  and  seek  others.  But  if  they  be 
within,  the  smoke  obliges  them  to  ascend  and  put  their 
heads  out  of  the  hole  they  entered.  On  observing  this,  the 
ax  is  applied  to  the  tree  ;  with  the  assistance  of  the  fire,  it 
is  soon  down,  and  the  hunter  stands  ready  to  dispatch  the 
animals  whilst  they  are  stunned  by  the  fall.  But  some- 
times they  are  so  obstinate  as  to  remain  at  the  bottom  of 
the  hole,  until  they  are  suffocated  or  roasted  to  death. 
The  bears,  both  grizzly  and  common  black,  which  reside 
on  Red  river,  take  to  the  hollow  trees  also,  and  are  hunted 
by  the  Indians  in  the  same  manner  as  raccoons.  But  the 
the  bears  in  the  Hair  hills,  and  other  elevated  places,  never 
take  to  the  trees  for  their  winter  quarters.  They  reside  in 
holes  in  the  ground,  in  the  most  intricate  thicket  they  can 
find,  generally  under  the  roots  of  trees  that  have  been  torn 
up  by  the  wind,  or  have  otherwise  fallen.  These  are  more 
difficult  to  find,  requiring  good  dogs  that  are  naturally 
given  to  hunt  bears.    The  reason  why  the  bears  differ  so 


••^. 


I 


158 


EXPRESS  SENT— THE  PLAINS  ON  FIRE. 


I 


n 


widely  in  the  choice  of  their  winter  habitations  is  obvious. 
The  low  points  along  the  river,  where  the  woods  principally 
grow,  are  every  spring  subject  to  overflow  when  the  ice 
breaks  up.  The  mud  carried  down  with  the  current,  and 
left  on  the  banks,  makes  their  dens  uncomfortable.  On 
the  Hair  hills  and  other  high  lands,  where  the  ground  is 
free  from  inundation,  the  soft  and  sandy  soil  is  not  so  cold 
as  the  stiff,  black  mud  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  which 
appears  to  be  made  ground.  Frequently,  on  digging  holes 
in  winter,  we  found  the  frost  had  penetrated  the  ground 
nearly  four  feet,  like  one  solid  body  of  ice,  while  in  a  high, 
dry,  sandy  soil,  it  seldom  exceeds  one  foot  in  depth. 

Monday,  Dec.  ist.  Having  finished  my  dispatches,  Des- 
marais  took  his  leave,  with  tears  in  his  eyes — poor  old  man, 
I  felt  for  him.  I  sent  with  him  my  own  two  men,  besides 
the  two  from  Portage  la  Prairie ;  wrote  12  letters — one  of 
20  pages  to  Charles  Clark.  This  afternoon  I  saw  an 
extraordinary  race — a  badger  in  pursuit  of  a  skunk.  I 
wished  to  see  what  would  be  the  consequences,  but  one  of 
my  men  killed  both  with  a  club  before  I  thought  of  pre- 
venting him.  This  chase  convinced  me  of  the  possibility 
of  my  man  having  taken  the  three  animals  in  the  same  trap. 
At  sunset  I  saw  a  thick  smoke  rising  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain toward  the  Indians'  camp,  and  soon  after  perceived  the 
plains  on  fire.  The  weather  was  cloudy  at  dusk,  and  the 
wind  blew  strong  from  the  N.,  causing  the  flame  to  make 
rapid  progress;  at  ten  o'clock  it  had  extended  as  far  as 
Salt  river,  presenting  a  dismal  and  lurid  appearance.  We 
could  plainly  distinguish  the  flames,  which  at  intervals  rose 
to  an  extraordinary  height,  as  they  passed  through  low 
spots  of  long  i^rass  or  reeds.  They  then  would  cease  their 
ravages  for  a  few  ri.oments,  soon  afterward  rise  again  with 
redoubled  fury,  and  then  die  away  to  their  usual  height. 
The  sight  was  awful,  indeed,  but  as  the  wind  was  from  us, 
and  the  Are  was  on  the  S.  side  of  Park  river,  we  had  noth- 
ing to  dread.  If  this  fire  spreads  all  over  the  country,  we 
shall  be  hard  up  for  provisions,  as  there  will  be  no  buffalo ; 


ALBINO  BUFFALO — CROOKED   LEGS     PLIGHT. 


'5v^ 


i- 


nothing  can  stop  hi  fury  but  snow  or  rain.  This  morning 
we  had  a  light  fall  of  snow,  but  it  had  no  effect  on  the  fire. 
Indians  came  in  from  the  camp  below,  and  even  from  the 
upper  part  of  Two  Rivers,  to  inquire  into  the  cause  of  the 
conflagration.  They  supposed  that  the  Sioux  had  de- 
stroyed this  fort,  and  set  fire  to  the  grass,  as  is  their  custom 
when  they  return  from  war.  I  was  uneasy  for  some  time, 
fearing  the  Indians'  camp  at  the  hills  was  destroyed.  But 
the  Crees  came  in  with  a  few  skins,  and  informed  us  the  Are 
had  been  lighted  at  their  tents  by  accident. 

Charlo  has  lost  his  eldest  daughter,  who  died  a  few  days 
ago.  He  wants  me  to  send  him  a  small  keg  of  rum,  to 
drown  his  sorrows,  which  are  very  great.  The  Crees  in-  | 
form  me  they  have  seen  a  calf  as  white  as  snow  in  a  herd  l/^ 
of  buffalo.  White  buffalo  are  very  scarce.  They  are  of 
inestimable  value  among  the  nations  of  the  Missouri,  but 
of  none  to  the  Crees  and  Assiniboines,  except  to  trade  with 
other  nations.  There  are  also  some  of  a  dirty  gray,  but 
these  are  very  rare. 

I  have  frequent  visits  from  the  Red  Lake  Indians,  who 
bring  a  few  skins.  On  the  5th  the  fire  was  extinguished. 
On  the  8th  I  prevailed  upon  the  old  woman  and  Crooked 
Legs  to  decamp  with  others — some  for  the  salt  lake,  some 
for  the  Bois  Perc£,  and  others  again  for  the  £.  side  of 
Riviere  aux  Marais,  where  a  number  of  Red  Lake  Indians 
are  camped.  The  old  gent  with  the  roasted  cods  was  in 
a  sad  condition,  and  appeared  to  be  failing  fast.  I  had 
him  dragged  away  on  a  travaille  with  my  horse,  and  now 
the  ground  is  clear  of  needy  pensioners  and  lazy  jades. 

On  the  loth  no  bulls  were  to  be  seen,  the  fire  having 
driven  them  away.  On  the  nth  a  fall  of  snow,  with  excess- 
ively cold  weather.  The  Saulteurs  are  everywhere  pre- 
paring for  war,  and  assure  me  the  Crees  will  join  them 
soon.  I  am  much  plagued  with  a  smoky  chimney,  which 
on  the  14th  fell  on  the  floor  while  I  was  in  bed.  This  was 
an  ugly  affair ;  however,  I  got  it  raised  again.  Bulls  began 
to  appear  from  the  N.  W.    On  the  15th  I  sent  all  hands  for 


!: 


' 


i6o 


NEEDLESS  ALARM— NOSELKSS  FAT  EARTH. 


meat,  and  my  negro  went  to  his  traps,  so  that  I  was  alone. 
I  climbed  my  oak  as  usual  for  a  view  of  the  plains ;  bulls 
and  red  deer  were  passing.  Suddenly  I  saw  to  the  S.  VV. 
a  person  coming  on  horseback.  I  supposed  it  to  be  some- 
body on  Crow's  mare  who  had  made  an  unusual  turn  south- 
ward on  a  hunting  excursion.  But  soon  after  I  perceived 
a  second  person  on  horseback,  and  then  a  third,  coming 
full  speed,  raising  a  cloud  of  snow.  I  was  perplexed  to 
know  what  this  could  mean,  being  fully  persuaded  there 
were  no  horses  in  that  quarter  but  Crow's  mare.  When 
they  cnme  within  about  a  mile  of  me,  I  thought  it  was 
high  time  to  prepare  for  battle.  Accordingly  I  made  the 
best  of  my  way  into  the  fori:,  shut  the  door  and  barred 
the  gates,  ran  into  the  house  for  my  gun,  and  repaired  to 
the  S.  W.  bastion,  where  I  took  my  stand,  reflecting  that 
this  certainly  was  my  last  day.  However,  I  was  determined 
to  defend  myself  as  long  as  I  could.  As  I  peered  through 
the  loop-holes,  I  saw  them  enter  the  Httle  wood,  and  on  a 
nearer  approach  recop^aized  their  faces.  ]  jumped  down, 
leaving  the  gun  in  the  bastion,  and  opened  the  gates  before 
they  reached  the  stockade,  as  I  did  not  wish  them  to  know 
of  my  alarm.  They  had  been  to  all  the  Indian  camps  to 
carry  tobacco  concerning  the  war,"  and  were  on  their 
way  to  their  tents  from  Salt  river ;  they  had  chased  a  herd 
of  buffalo,  which  had  taken  them  out  of  their  road. 
They  had  purchased  their  horses  from  the  Crees  at  the 
Hair  hills.  On  the  19th  some  of  the  Red  Lake  Indians, 
having  traded  here  for  liquor  which  they  took  to  their 
camp,  quarreled  among  themselves.  Cautoquoince '* 
jumped  on  Terre  Grasse,  and  bit  his  nose  off.  It  was  some 
time  before  the  piece  could  be  found  ;  but  at  last,  by 
tumbling  and  tossing  the  straw  about,   it  was  recovered, 


I 


**  That  is,  these  Indian  runners  had  been  canvassing  the  subject  of  going  to 
war,  and  had  as  usual  taken  tobacco  to  smoke  in  council  with  those  whom  they 
wished  to  draw  into  that  enterprise. 

'*  Name  not  found  before,  but  probably  same  as  Quiniss,  No.  35  of  the  list 
on  p.  54.    For  a  similar  nose-biting  story,  see  Tanner,  p.  164. 


MaiMMut^m^watiw^gj^ 


,jj54^eagji:' 


CHARLO   DYING— CHILD  TORN  ASUNDER. 


l6l 


stuck  on,  and  bandaged,  as  best  the  drunken  people  could, 
in  hopes  it  would  grow  again.  The  quarrel  proceeded  from 
jealousy. 

Sunday,  Dec.  21st.  Sent  two  men  with  an  Indian  guide 
to  take  a  stallion  and  a  mare  to  Red  lake,  whence  Michel 
Cadotte  will  forward  them  to  Mr.  Grant  at  Rainy  lake. 
They  both  are  in  high  order,  without  sore  backs.  On  the 
22d  the  plains  were  covered  with  buffalo  in  every  direction. 
I  went  hunting  on  foot  with  one  of  my  men  ;  we  killed 
three  cows.  My  people  killed  three  bulls  within  100 
yards  of  the  stockades,  which  served  for  our  dogs.  Next 
day  all  hands  went  for  meat  with  sleighs.  On  the  24th 
my  two  men  returned  from  Portage  la  Prairie  with  letters 
of  the  1 5th  inst.    The  people  are  starving  in  that  quarter. 

Thursday,  Dec.  25th — Christinas.  Treated  my  people 
with  high  wine,  flour,  and  sugar.  26th.  Crow  came  in  with 
his  brother  Charlo  on  a  travaille,  at  the  point  of  death. 
28th.  Sent  two  men  to  make  salt,  near  the  entrance  of  the 
little  river.  I  was  informed  of  a  cruel  affair  which  hap- 
pened two  years  ago  at  Red  lake.  The  woman  is  here  to 
whom  the  affair  happened.  It  seems  her  husband  was  a 
young  Indian  by  whom  she  had  one  child,  but  who  thought 
proper  to  have  two  wives.  Not  liking  this,  she  joined 
another  camp,  where  she  took  a  new  husband.  Soon  after 
this  second  marriage,  the  two  camps  met  and  had  a  drink- 
ing match.  The  first  husband  went  to  his  rival,  and  insisted 
upon  taking  the  child,  telling  him  he  might  keep  the 
woman,  as  he  did  not  want  her.  They  were  both 
scoundrels ;  the  child  was  not  many  months  old.  The 
father  caught  hold  of  one  leg  of  the  child,  saying  he  would 
have  him ;  the  husband  caught  hold  of  the  other  leg, 
saying  the  father  should  not  take  him  away.  They  began 
to  pull  and  haul ;  on  a  sudden  the  father  gave  a  jerk ;  and 
the  other  resisting,  the  child  was  torn  asunder.  Charlo 
lies  here  very  sick ;  he  is  troubled  with  an  ugly  cough, 
and  can  scarcely  move.  His  brothers  have  only  been  once 
to  see  him ;  they  have  no  more  feeling  than  brutes,  and  have 


l62       KEAL  INDIAN   GRIEF— NEW   YEAR   FESTIVITIES. 

left  him  to  care  for  his  two  young  children,  one  five  and 
the  other  seven  years  of  age.  In  a  drinking  match  a  few 
days  ago  one  of  the  women  bit  an  Indian's  finger  off. 
She  came  to  me  for  salve  to  cure  it  as  best  I  could.  On 
the  31st  an  Indian  woman  arrived,  who  is  a  near  relation 
of  Charlo's  deceased  wife.  She  sat  down  by  him,  scream- 
ing and  howling  in  a  terrible  manner,  calling  on  the 
deceased  by  name,  and  frequently  sobbing,  "  Oh,  my  rela- 
tion  !  my  relation  !  "  I  began  to  feel  for  the  poor  woman, 
but  she  soon  after  dried  her  tears,  and  was  the  merriest 
one  we  had  in  the  house.  This  is  real  Indian  grief,  but 
does  not  affect  the  heart.  This  evening  I  was  offered  a 
bed-fellow,  but  refused.  The  Indians  are  very  officious 
in  wishing  to  provide  me  with  a  wife,  but  my  inclination 
does  not  agree  with  theirs  in  the  least. 

Sunday,  Jan.  ist,  1801.  The  new  year  was  ushered  in  by 
several  volleys,  which  alarmed  a  camp  of  Indians  near  by. 
The  men  came  running  in  armed,  having  ordered  the 
women  to  hide  themselves.  But  they  vvere  agreeably  de- 
ceived, and  got  a  share  of  what  was  going — some  sherub  " 
and  cakes.  Every  woman  and  child  was  soon  at  the  fort ; 
all  was  bustle  and  confusion.  I  gave  my  men  some  high 
wine,  flour,  and  sugar  ;  the  Indians  purchased  liquor,  and  by 
sunrise  every  soul  of  them  was  raving  drunk — even  the  chil- 
dren. Buffalo  in  great  abundance  ;  some  within  gunshot  of 
the  fort.  The  plains  were  entirely  covered ;  all  were  mov- 
ing in  a  body  from  N.  to  S. 

An  Indian  who  pretended  to  be  a  medicine  man  was  em- 
ployed by  Maymiutch  to  cure  his  sick  brother.  The  fellow 
came  accordingly  with  his  drum  and  medicine  bag,  half 
drunk,  and   began  to  make  a  terrible  noise,  beating  the 


**  An  unusual  spelling  of  our  word  shrab  or  shrub,  a  beverage,  but  one  ety- 
mologically  preferable,  as  being  nearer  the  Arabic  and  Hindu  sharab,  whence 
are  also  derived  sherbet  and  syrup.  But,  no  doubt,  the  drink  by  any  other  name 
would  have  made  them  just  as  drunk  as  they  were,  when  they  celebrated  he 
new  year  with  such  orgiastic  and  ithyphallic  rites  as  Henry  refrains  from  ful!y 
describing.    (For  the  medicine  story,  compare  Tanner,  p.  90,) 


MEDICINE  MAN— LIAKD'S  DAUGHTER. 


163 


drum,  singing  and  dancing,  tumbling  and  tossing,  and 
blowing  upon  the  sick  man,  until  he  worked  himself  into  a 
foam  ;  when,  redoubling  his  exertions,  with  one  heavy  stroke 
he  burst  his  drum,  trampled  it  to  pieces,  and  went  away 
quite  exhausted,  leaving  his  patient  almost  worried  to  death. 
However,  this  affair  got  him  two  blankets,  a  large  kettle, 
and  Charlo's  gun.  I  saw  a  curious  farce  during  the  night 
between  my  men  and  some  old  women  about  70  years  of 
age  [details  omitted].  Liard's  daughter  took  possession  of 
my  room,  and  the  devil  coiild  not  have  got  her  out. 

Jan.  2d.  At  daybreak  I  heard  a  crash  in  my  kitchen,  and 
found  the  chimney  had  fallen  from  top  to  bottom ;  it  was 
lying  on  the  floor,  and  the  fire  was  blazing  on.  The  cold 
was  severe ;  weather  cloudy  and  calm.  The  oaks  made  a 
continual  cracking  noise  as  they  split  with  the  frost,  some- 
times like  the  report  of  a  gun.  Buffaloes  came  within  gun- 
shot of  the  stockades,  but  the  dogs  drove  them  away.  I 
was  tempted  to  go  hunting  for  two  re  sons.  One  was,  to 
give  the  men  time  to  repair  the  chimney,  and  the  other,  to 
get  rid  of  the  encumbrance  who  occupied  my  room.  I  soon 
came  near  the  buffaloes,  and  found  an  Indian  who  had 
killed  a  cow,  and  was  cutting  her  up.  But  the  cold  was  so 
intense  that  it  obliged  him  to  give  it  up  and  return  to  his 
tent.  I  fired  many  shots,  but  killed  only  three ;  it  was  im- 
possible to  cut  them  up.  I  contented  myself  with  raising 
the  fat  and  tongues,  and  returned  at  dusk  with  a  heavy  load 
on  my  back.  I  was  vexed  to  find  my  room  still  occupied, 
and  no  sign  of  her  budging. 

Berdash,  a  son  of  Sucrie  [Sucre,  Sweet,  or  Wiscoup], 
arrived  from  the  Assiniboine,  where  he  had  been  with  a 
young  man  to  carry  tobacco  concerning  the  war.  This  per- 
son is  a  curious  compound  between  a  man  and  a  woman. 
He  is  a  man  both  as  to  members  and  courage,  but  pretends 
to  be  womanish,  and  dresses  as  such.  His  walk  and  mode 
of  sitting,  his  manners,  occupations,  and  language  are  those 
of  a  woman.  His  father,  who  is  a  great  chief  amongst  the 
Saulteurs,  cannot  persuade  him  to  act  like  a  man.    About 


164 


SWIFTNESS  OF  THE  ONE-EYED  SObOMIST. 


a  month  ago,  in  a  drinking  match,  he  got  into  a  quarrel  and 
had  one  of  his  eyes  knocked  out  with  a  club.  He  is  very 
troublesome  when  drunk.  He  is  very  fleet,  and  a  few  years 
ago  was  reckoned  the  best  runner  among  the  Saulteurs. 
Both  his  speed  and  his  courage  were  tested  some  years  ago 
on  the  Schian  river,  when  Monsieur  Reaume  ^*  attempted  to 
make  peace  between  the  two  nations,  and  Berdash  accom- 
panied a  party  of  Saulteurs  to  the  Sioux  camp.  They  at 
first  appeared  reconciled  to  each  other  through  the  interces* 
sion  of  the  whites,  but  on  the  return  of  the  Saulteurs,  the 
Sioux  pursued  them.  Both  parties  were  on  foot,  and  the 
Sioux  have  the  name  of  being  extraordinarily  swift.  The 
Saulteurs  imprudently  dispersed  in  the  plains,  and  several 
were  killed  ;  but  the  party  with  Berdash  escaped  without 
any  accident,  in  the  following  manner :  One  of  them  had 
got  from  the  Sioux  a  bow,  but  only  a  few  arrows.  On 
starting  and  finding  themselves  pursued,  they  ran  a  consid- 
erable distance,  until  they  perceived  the  Sioux  were  gaining 
fast  upon  them,  when  Berdash  took  the  bow  and  arrows 
from  his  comrades,  and  told  them  to  run  as  fast  as  possible, 
without  minding  him,  as  he  feared  no  danger.    He  then 

**  There  were  several  person*  of  this  name  in  the  fur-trade,  identification  of 
whom  is  not  easy,  as  the  Christian  name  is  generally  omitted;  the  surname 
varies  to  K^aume,  Rh^aume,  and  sometimes  Raymond. — "  Mons."  Reaume  is 
often  mentioned  in  Thompson's  MS.;  /.  g.,  en  route  from  Grand  Portage,  Aug. 
13th,  1797,  and  in  Sept.,  1797,  fitted  out  by  Cuthbert  Grant  for  a  post  near 
"  Falle  &  la  Perdrix  "  (Partridge  falls,  somewhere  about  Dauphin  r.  and  Lake 
Winnipegoosis). — Simon  Raume  or  Raymond  is  mentioned  by  Thompson  as 
being  at  Red  Deer  Lake  house  Oct.  31st,  1798. — Simon  Reaume  appears  in  a 
N.  W.  Co.  list  as  at  Fort  des  Prairies  and  Fort  Lac  Orignal,  winter  of  1789-90, 
and  on  Upper  English  r.,  1799. — One  Reaume  was  at  Portage  la  Prairie, 
1794-95,  in  opposition  to  Wm.  Mackay  of  the  N.  W.  Co. — One  Reaume  is  men- 
tioned in  Wm.  Morrison's  letter  of  1856  as  coming  into  the  trade  prior  to  1803. 
— J.  R(faume  was  a  trader  on  Red  1.,  winter  of  1784-85. — Joseph  Reaume  of  the 
N.  W.  Co.  was  in  the  Fond  du  Lac  Dept.  in  1799;  wages  1,000  livres. — Joseph 
R^ume  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  wintered  at  Folle  Avoine  lake  or  river,  1 801-03 : 
see  the  abstract  at  the  end  of  Chap.  iv. — Joseph  Rh^ume  appears  as  a  voyageur 
of  the  N.  W.  Co.  in  the  Athabasca  Dept.,  1804. — For  Charles  Reaume,  b.  near 
Montreal,  1753,  married  Mdlle.  Sanguinet,  d.  Bale  Verte  in  i83i,8ee  the  biogr. 
in  Tass^,  L  pp.  133-136,  and  work  there  cited,  p.  351. 


BERDASH    APPEARS  TO  ADVANTAGE. 


165 


faced  the  enemy,  and  beg^an  to  let  fly  his  arrows.  This 
checked  their  course,  and  they  returned  the  compliment 
with  interest,  but  it  was  so  far  off  thi '  only  a  chance  arrow 
could  have  hurt  him,  as  they  had  nearly  spent  their  strength 
when  they  fell  near  him.  His  own  arrows  were  soon  ex- 
pended, but  he  lost  no  time  in  gathering  up  those  that  fell 
near  him,  and  thus  he  had  a  continual  supply.  Seeing  his 
friends  some  distance  ahead,  and  the  Sioux  moving  to  sur- 
round him,  he  turned  and  ran  full  speed  to  join  his  com- 
rades, the  Sioux  after  him.  When  the  latter  approached 
too  near,  Berdash  again  stopped  and  faced  them  with  his 
bow  and  arrows,  and  kept  them  at  bay.  Thus  did  he  con- 
tinue to  manoeuvre  until  they  reached  a  spot  of  strong  wood 
which  the  Sioux  dared  not  enter.  Some  of  the  Saulteurs 
who  were  present  have  often  recounted  the  affair  to  me. 
It  seems  the  Sioux  from  the  first  were  inclined  to  treachery, 
being  very  numerous,  and  the  others  but  few.  The  Saulteurs 
were  well  provided  with  guns  and  ammunition,  but  on  their 
first  meeting  were  surrounded  and  the  guns  taken  from 
them,  in  return  for  which  the  Sioux  gave  them  bows  and 
arrows;  but  in  a  manner  to  be  of  little  use,  giving  one  a 
bow  and  no  arrows,  another  a  quiver  of  arrows,  but  no  bow. 
The  white  men  had  some  difficulty  to  keep  their  arms,  by 
which  means  they  escaped. 

Jan.  6th.  Langlois  arrived.  He  informed  me  that  a 
party  of  Crees  and  Sonnants  Had  left  their  camp  to  go  to 
war,  but  on  reaching  our  house  at  the  Hair  hills,  and  hear- 
ing the  Saulteurs  were  ready  for  them,  they  gave  it  up  for 
the  present  and  wished  to  plunder  the  house.  Fortunately 
there  were  two  or  three  old  men  among  them,  who  pre- 
vented the  pillage  and  remained  several  days  after  the  party 
had  gone  off,  fearing  lest  they  might  come  back  and  ac- 
complish their  design.  This  would  have  been  easy,  as 
there  were  but  two  whites  at  the  house. 

To-day  was  a  holiday  [^piphanie,  Epiphany,  Twelfth 
Day  or  Little  Christmas]  for  my  people.  Gave  them  a  treat 
of  high  wine,  sugar,  flour,  etc. 


i66 


IN  COITU— EN  DEROUINE. 


We  had  a  bitch  in  heat ;  she  was  very  troublesome,  and 
the  dogs  made  a  terrible  noise  on  her  account  day  and 
night.  I  drove  them  all  to  the  plains ;  a  band  of  wolves 
got  scent  of  the  bitch,  and  a  furious  battle  ensued,  in  which 
one  of  our  dogs  was  torn  to  pieces.  This  often  happens  at 
this  season,  when  the  wolves  are  copulating  and  our  dogs 
get  among  them.  The  female  wolves  prefer  our  dogs  to 
I  their  own  species,  and  daily  come  near  the  fort  to  entice  the 
dogs.  They  often  succeed,  and  if  the  dogs  ever  return, 
they  are  in  a  miserable  condition,  lean  and  covered  with 
sores.  Some  of  my  men  have  amused  themselves  by 
watching  their  motions  in  the  act  of  copulating ;  rushing 
upon  them  with  an  ax  or  club,  when  the  dog,  apprehend- 
ing no  danger,  would  remain  quiet,  and  the  wolf,  unable  to 
run  oH,  could  be  dispatched. 

My  two  men  returned  from  Red  lake,  having  got  there  in 
eight  days,  with  the  horses,  which  were  to  be  forwarded 
immediately  to  Rainy  lake,  where  Mr.  Cadotte  is  starving. 

/an.  Sth.  Langlois  started  with  two  of  my  men  for  Reed 
river.  On  the  9th  we  had  a  terrible  snowstorm.  The  buf- 
falo now  keep  at  a  distance.  We  are  collecting  our  winter 
stock  very  slowly,  having  no  good  buffalo  hunter.  On  the 
13th  my  men  returned  from  below  ;  they  informed  me  that 
Hamel  had  been  en  derouine "  to  the  Cree  camp  at  Prairie 
de  la  TSte  de  Boeuf,  when  the  Sonnants  and  Crees  had 
pillaged  him  of  all  the  property  he  had  with  him,  among 


''The  phrase  means  that  he  had  gone  as  a  "commercial  traveler "  to  the 
Cree  camp  to  drum  up  trade.  En  derouine  was  a  technical  term  in  the  fur- 
trade  :  thus  we  read  in  Masson,  I.  p.  306,  "  No  derouine  to  take  place,"  etc. 
The  traders  as  a  rule  established  themselves  in  certain  places  to  whi  h  the  In- 
dians were  obliged  to  repair  to  dispose  of  their  skins  in  exchange  for  goods,  and 
take  their  debts  for  the  next  hunt.  But  sometimes  a  trader  would  go  about 
among  them  to  secure  skins,  with  a  few  goods  to  exchange,  or  none ;  and  if  he 
procured  skin$  for  which  the  Indians  were  not  paid,  he  gave  them  orders  upon 
the  nearest  establishment  for  the  amount  due.  This  was  i'en  aller  en  derouine,  or 
courir  la  derouine — go  drumming ;  and  the  whole  transaction  was  une  derouine, 
which  rival  traders  sometimes  agreed  not  to  allow.  Coureur  de  derouine  was  a 
drummer.     The  forms  d&ouine  and  drouine  also  occur. 


PLAINS  BLACK  WITH   BUFFALO — CHARLO  DEAD.       167 


which  was  a  large  keg  of  sugar  and  liquor ;  he  had  a  narrow 
escape  for  his  life. 

Jan.  lifth.  At  daybreak  I  was  awakened  by  the  bellow- 
ing of  buffaloes.  I  got  up,  and  was  astonished  when  I 
climbed  into  the  S.  W.  bastion.  On  my  right  the  plains 
were  black,  and  appeared  as  if  in  motion.  S.  to  N.  Oppo< 
site  the  fort  the  ice  was  covered ;  and  on  my  left,  to  the 
utmost  extent  of  the  reach  below  us,  the  river  was  covered 
with  buifalo  moving  northward.  Our  dogs  were  confined 
within  the  fort,  which  allowed  the  buffalo  to  pass  within 
a  few  paces.  I  dressed  and  climbed  my  oak  for  a  better 
view.  I  had  seen  almost  incredible  numbers  of  buffalo  in 
the  fall,  but  nothing  in  comparison  to  what  I  now  beheld. 
The  ground  was  covered  at  every  point  of  the  com- 
pass, as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  and  every  animal 
was  in  motion.  All  hands  soon  attacked  them  with  a  tre- 
mendous running  fire,  which  put  them  to  a  quicker  pace,  but 
had  no  effect  in  altering  their  course.  The  first  roads 
beaten  in  the  snow  were  followed  by  those  in  the  rear. 
They  passed  at  full  speed  until  about  nine  o'clock,  when 
their  numbers  decreased  and  they  kept  further  off  in  the 
plain.  There  was  about  15  inches  of  snow  on  a  level,  in 
some  places  drifted  in  great  banks.  Notwithstanding  the 
buffalo  were  so  numerous,  and  12  guns  were  employed,  we 
killed  only  three  cows  and  one  old  bull,  but  must  have 
wounded  a  great  number. 

Jan.  iph.  The  plains  were  still  covered  with  buffalo 
moving  slowly  northward.  Charlo  died  early  this  morning. 
Since  last  August  his  two  eldest  daughters,  two  sons,  their 
mother,  and  now  their  father,  have  died.  There  are  still 
living  a  boy  and  a  girl.  Their  complaint  was  a  cough, 
which  soon  killed  them.  They  were  all  in  good  health  when 
I  arrived  at  the  Forks  last  summer.  Maymiutch  asked  me 
for  liquor  to  lament  the  death  of  his  brother.  He  tells  me 
he  knows  why  all  his  brother's  family  died  so  suddenly :  It 
was  because  Charlo  went  to  Riviere  la  Souris  [Mouse  river], 
and  stole  three  horses  from  the  H.  B.  Co.  there,  and  Mr. 


•¥; 


i68     maymiutch's  lament — waquetoe's  revenge. 

Goodwin,  who  is  a  doctor,  threw  bad  medicine  on  him  and 
his  family.  He  says  further  that  the  Indians  at  Bois  Perc6 
advised  him  to  be  revenged  on  us  for  the  death  of  his 
brother;  but  that  he  had  rejected  their  proposal,  telling 
them  it  was  not  we  who  had  occasioned  Charlo's  death,  and 
that  he  always  knew  his  brother  was  a  bad  Indian,  who 
lived  in  all  kinds  of  wickedness,  stealing  horses,  e^.  writing  the 
traders,  and  never  paying  his  debts ;  so  that,  even  had  we 
caused  his  brother's  death,  he  never  would  harbor  any 
thoughts  of  revenge ;  his  heart  was  too  weak  to  permit  him 
to  injure  people  who  had  always  been  charitable  to  him, 
and  provided  him  with  necessaries  to  bring  up  his  children 
and  supply  their  daily  wants.  The  end  of  this  was,  I  must 
give  him  some  liquor  to  wash  the  grief  from  his  heart,  as  it 
was  very  much  oppressed. 

Jan.  igth.  Most  of  the  Indians  camped  at  the  fort,  hav- 
ing left  off  hunting.  A  bull  followed  the  plains  road  within 
about  40  yards  of  the  fort,  when  he  was  perceived  by  the 
Indians  and  fired  at.  The  ball  went  into  one  eye  and  came 
out  of  the  other.  The  poor  blinded  animal  ran  at  random 
against  the  trees  and  stumps,  and  was  dispatched  with  an 
ax.  This  was  excellent  sport  for  the  Indians.  Shortly 
after  another  came  by  the  same  route,  and  was  shot  dead 
within  50  paces  of  the  stockades.  This  evening,  in  a  drink- 
ing match,  Wayquetoe  shot  an  arrow  at  his  wife,  which 
entered  her  right  side  below  the  ribs,  and  was  pulled  out 
on  the  left ;  at  the  same  time  he  fired  another  at  her  sup- 
posed beloved,  and  shot  him  through  the  arm.  The  woman 
lies  dangerously  ill. 

My  winter  stock  of  provision  is  complete — all  good,  fat 
buffalo  meat,  and  my  men  have  little  to  do.  They,  there- 
fore, amuse  themselves  by  sliding  down  the  bank  on  sleighs 
from  the  S.  gate.  Their,  descent  is  so  great  as  to  cause 
their  trains  to  run  across  Red  river.  The  Indian  women 
join  them,  and  they  have  excellent  sport.  They  have  given 
over  trapping  since  Christmas,  as  they  took  nothing  worth 
their  while.     Indians  go  hunting  on  the  E.  side  of  the  river, 


MRS.  HENRY  CHANGES  HER  MIND. 


169 


where  the  buffalo  are  as  numerous  as  on  the  W.,  and  much 
easier  to  approach  in  the  willows  and  long  grass.  My  men 
have  finished  hauling  in  fire-wood,  with  the  assistance  of 
their  dogs  only,  as  we  have  no  horses. 

Jan.  2ph.  This  is  delightful  weather  for  the  Indian 
women  to  play  their  favorite  game  of  couUion  on  the  ice  ; 
they  generally  keep  it  up  till  dark,  whilst  the  men  are  at 
their  game  of  platter,  and  others  beat  the  drum  to  their 
wabbano  songs.     Hunting  is  out  of  the  question  now. 

Jan.  26th.  The  Indians  threatened  to  destroy  us — Taba- 
shaw  at  the  head,  and  Chamanau  second  in  command. 
But  I  soon  convinced  them  that  it  would  prove  a  tough 
bone  for  them  to  gnaw.  They  then  made  a  merit  of  neces- 
sity, and  the  ringleaders  informed  against  the  others ;  but  I 
knew  them  too  well  to  allow  them  to  impose  on  me. 

Jan.  joth.  I  got  rid  of  my  bed-fellow,  who  returned  to 
her  father  with  a  good  grace.  Fine  weather.  One  of  my 
men  had  a  narrow  escape  from  being  killed  by  a  wounded 
bull.  The  dogs  have  fine  sport  chasing  the  old  scabby 
bulls  that  take  shelter  in  the  woods,  but  they  are  very  alert 
and  active  for  animals  of  their  bulk,  and  the  dogs  cannot 
hurt  them.  I  saw  one  pass  to-day  with  a  crow  [Corvus 
americanus]  perched  on  his  back,  pecking  his  scabs,  which 
caused  him  to  kick  and  twist  his  tail. 

Sunday,  Feb.  ist.  I  sent  two  men  to  Portage  la  Prairie 
with  two  trains  and  four  dogs,  loaded  with  goods ;  sent  also 
a  man  to  Reed  river,  with  directions  for  Langlois.  The 
lady  returned.  A  terrible  snowstorm.  Stormy  weather 
causes  the  buffalo  to  approach  the  woods  for  shelter,  and  it 
no  sooner  abates  than  they  return  to  the  plain.  On  the 
3d  it  was  very  cold  ;  I  went  hunting  on  the  E.  side.  Saw 
plenty  of  buffalo ;  killed  two  cows  and  one  calf.  One  of 
them,  a  large  fat  cow,  I  shot  at  125  oaces,  directly  through 
the  head,  with  my  double-barreled  gun.  I  took  only  the 
tongues  and  d^pouilles,  and  returned  after  dark.  On  the 
17th  we  had  a  terrible  snowstorm.  I  can  count  daily, 
from  the  top  of  my  oak,  from  20  to  30  herds  of  buffalo 


I70        ACEGUEMANCHE'S  art — ATTEMPTED  THEFT. 

feeding  in  the  plains.  It  is  surprising  how  the  cows  resist 
the  piercing  N.  wind,  which  at  times  blows  with  such  vio- 
lence over  the  bleak  plains,  and  raises  such  drifts,  that  it 
cannot  be  faced  ;  still,  those  animals  graze  in  the  open  field. 
Aceguemanche,  who  has  the  care  of  Wayquetoe's  wounded 
wife,  came  to  say  that,  by  means  of  his  art  in  medicine,  and 
his  superior  knowledge  of  the  wabbano,  he  had  extracted  a 
bit  of  iron  from  his  patient's  back,  which  had  given  her 
much  relief ;  but  that,  by  conjuration,  he  found  she  had  a 
piece  of  some  hard  metal  in  her  neck,  which  baffles  his 
powers.  He  has  exhausted  his  skill  in  vain,  has  sung 
songs,  and  beaten  his  drum,  day  and  night,  for  some  time 
past ;  still  the  metal  does  not  appear.  But  he  does  not 
despair  of  getting  it  out.  This  is  a  trick  of  the  fellow  to 
get  more  property  from  the  husband. 

Feb.  20th.  A  party  of  Red  Lake  Indians  and  of  my 
Saulteurs  are  decamping  for  Red  lake,  to  prepare  for  .he 
sugar  season,  which  commences  about  the  end  of  March. 
They  are  very  troublesome,  begging  liquor  and  ammuni- 
tion. On  the  24th  I  went  hunting  above,  and  killed 
three  buffalo ;  they  are  getting  very  lean.  Examined 
my  shop,  and  perceived  a  place  where  some  person  had 
attempted  to  steal  in  at  the  back,  opposite  the  silver- 
works  that  were  lying  on  a  shelf.  They  had  taken  the 
clay  from  between  the  logs,  and  with  a  knife  had  cut  away 
the  wood,  both  above  and  below,  so  as  to  pass  a  stick 
through  with  a  gun-screw  on  the  end.  They  did  not  suc- 
ceed, as  I  found  the  worm  fast  to  an  arm-band,  and  some 
other  articles  drawn  from  their  places ;  but  apparently  the 
worm  had  slipped  off  and  could  not  be  recovered.  The 
snow  on  the  outside  was  so  beaten  by  dogs  I  could  not 
identify  the  tracks. 

Feb.  25th.  A  herd  of  cows  were  crossing  the  ice  near  the 
fort ;  the  dogs  chased  them,  and  prevented  one  from  get- 
ting on  shore.  Perceiving  this  the  men  took  a  codline, 
which  they  doubled  and  then  entangled  her  legs  in  such  a 
manner  that  she  fell  upon  her  side.    She  lay  quiet  while 


cow  ROPED— SOAP  MADE— RACCOONS  OUT. 


171 


they  fastened  the  line  around  her  horns  and  dragged  her  to 
the  fort,  as  she  was  too  obstinate  to  stand  up.  But  here 
she  jumped  up  and  made  at  .iic  dogs,  taking  no  notice  of 
us.  Crow  and  Pierre  both  got  on  her  back,  but  this  did 
not  incommode  her ;  she  was  as  nimble  in  jumping  and 
kicking  at  the  dogs  as  before,  although  they  are  two 
stout  men — Crow  weighing  at  least  190  pounds.  She 
was  not  full  grown,  and  very  lean.  What  must  be  the 
strength  of  a  full-grown  bull,  double  the  weight  of  a  cow  ? 
It  is  common  to  see  a  bull  exceed  1,500  pounds,  but  a  cow 
is  seldom  over  700  or  800  pounds  gross. 

My  men  are  making  soap  with  tallow,  to  which  a  certain 
kind  of  salt  is  added  ;  it  seems  an  excellent  article,  hard 
and  dry,  and  some  have  the  art  of  making  it  almost  white. 
When  cut  in  cakes  it  looks  good,  and  they  say  it  washes 
as  well  as  English  soap. 

Sunday,  Feb.  28th.  Wolves  and  crows  are  very  numer- 
ous, feeding  on  the  buffalo  carcasses  that  lie  in  every 
direction.  I  shot  two  cows,  a  calf,  and  two  bulls,  and  got 
home  after  dark.  I  was  choking  with  thirst,  having  chased 
the  bu.falo  on  snowshoes  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  when 
the  snow  so  adheres  that  one  is  scarcely  able  to  raise  the 
feet.  A  draught  of  water  was  the  sweetest  beverage  I 
ever  tasted.  An  Indian  brought  in  a  calf  of  this  year, 
which  he  found  dead.  It  wa^  well  grown,  and  must  have 
perished  last  night  in  the  cold.  This  was  thought  extraor- 
dinary ;  they  say  it  denotes  an  early  spring. 

Mar.  5th.  The  snow  being  entirely  melted,  and  the 
ground  thawing  about  noon,  renders  it  very  muddy,  at 
times  over  the  shoes.  This  proceeds  from  the  water  over- 
flowing the  bank  on  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice,  and  leaving 
vast  quantities  of  mud  and  slime,  so  glutinous  that  it 
adheres  to  whatever  it  touches. 

The  buffalo  have  for  some  time  been  wandering  in  every 
direction.  My  men  have  raised  and  put  their  traps  in 
order  for  the  spring  hunt,  as  the  raccoons  begin  to  come 
out  of  their  winter  quarters  in  the  daytime,  though  they 


i;2 


BIKUS— MAPLES— BOIS  TORS— EXPRESS  IN. 


retire  to  the  hollow  trees  at  night.  On  the  8th  it  rained 
for  four  hours ;  fresh  meat  thawed.  On  the  9th  we  saw  the 
first  spring  bird.  Bald  eagles  [Haliaetos  leucocephalus]  we 
have  seen  the  whole  winter,  but  now  they  are  numerous, 
feeding  on  the  buffalo  carcasses.  My  men  begin  to  take 
raccoons,  which  are  very  lean. 

Mar.  nth.  Clear,  mild  weather ;  wind  S.  E.;  snow  melt- 
ing  fast.  I  sent  four  men,  with  two  kegs  of  high  wine 
each,  to  Portage  la  Prairie.  On  the  12th  we  saw  an  outarde 
[wild  goose,  Bernicla  canadensis'\  on  the  ice ;  and  another 
swimming,  where  the  melting  of  the  snow  had  caused  the 
ice  to  rise  and  leave  an  open  space.  I  also  saw  a  swan. 
The  small  bastard  maple  [box-elder  or  ash-leafed  maple, 
Neguttdo  aceroides]  begins  to  run.  The  Canadians  call  this 
tree  Arable  k  gigoire.  The  sap  yields  a  fine  white  sugar, 
but  it  is  not  so  sweet  as  that  of  the  real  maple  [Acer  sac- 
cAarinum],  and  more  is  required  to  make  the  same  quantity 
of  sugar.  There  is  also  an  abundance  of  bois  tors  [twisted 
wood,  the  so-called  climbing  bitter-sweet,  Celastrus  scan- 
dens],  a  short  shrub  that  winds  up  the  stocks  of  larger 
trees  ;  the  wood  is  soft  and  spongy,  with  a  thick  bark,  which 
is  often  eaten  by  the  natives  in  time  of  famine.  There 
are  two  species  of  this  shrub  ;  one  grows  much  thicker  than 
the  other,  and  is  very  sweet,  but  too  astringent.  The 
smaller  kind  is  more  insipid  and  less  unwholesome.  They 
cut  it  into  pieces  and  boil  it  a  long  time,  when  the  bark  is 
peeled  off  and  eaten  without  any  further  preparation.  I 
have  subsisted  upon  this  bark  for  days,  but  always  found 
my  weakness  increased  upon  me. 

Mar.  14th.  My  two  men  that  I  sent  to  Portage  la  Prairie 
Feb.  1st,  arrived  with  Messrs.  Chaboillez  [senior  or  junior  ?] 
and  John  Cameron.  They  bring  the  Northwest  Company's 
northern  winter  express,  which  will  proceed  with  all  dispatch 
to  Grand  Portage  ;  there  to  be  put  on  board  the  vessel  and 
conveyed  to  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  where  it  arrives  about  June  ist, 
and  sometimes  in  May,  according  to  the  state  of  the  ice  in 
Lake  Superior.     It  generally  starts  from  Athabasca  Jan.  ist. 


EXPRESS  OFF— SIGNS  OF  SPRING. 


173 


The  ice  is  rising  in  a  body,  in  consequence  of  the  melting 
snow.  Being  apprehensive  the  water  would  come  into  the 
fort  and  overflow  the  property,  I  set  all  hands  to  erect  a 
large  stage,  on  which  we  laid  most  of  our  property.  On  the 
15th  we  saw  six  swans  and  several  outardes  going  N.,  and 
on  the  17th  had  a  terrible  snowstorm ;  buffaloes  near  the 
fort.  i8th.  Had  much  trouble  to  cross  the  express  ,  there 
being  a  broad  space  of  open  water  on  each  ride  of  the  river, 
and  the  ice  in  the  middle  scarcely  able  to  support  the  man's 
weight.  All  got  over  by  means  of  a  small  canoe.  Mr.  Cam- 
eron goes  to  Grand  Portage  with  four  men  for  a  land  load 
of  goods,  to  come  as  soon  as  navigation  opens.  The 
express  will  pass  by  Red  lake  and  Lac  la  Pluie.  I  sent 
Crow  to  guide  them ;  all  go  on  foot,  without  dogs.  igth. 
Mr.  Chaboillez  and  his  men  set  off  with  two  of  mine,  loaded 
with  goods.  The  river  continues  to  rise,  and  is  now  only  a 
few  feet  from  the  gate.  Got  out  my  canoes,  repaired  and 
gummed  them,  and  placed  them  in  the  fort  ready  to  load, 
to  save  ourselves  in  the  plain,  in  case  the  water  rises  sud- 
denly. 20th.  I  saw  a  sturgeon  jump.  21st.  My  anxiety 
about  the  water  increasing,  I  set  the  men  at  work,  carried 
our  property  to  a  rising  ground  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  fort,  and  covered  it  with  oil  cloths.  It  was  tedious, 
as  our  pemmican  had  not  yet  been  made  up.**  Wild  fowl 
now  abound ;  also  buffalo.  My  faithful  dog  Castor  died 
with  a  swelling  in  the  neck ;  it  was  the  tenth  day  he  had 
eaten  nothing.  I  had  pierced  it  several  times  and  let  out 
much  foul  matter.  This  swelling  in  the  neck  and  head  is 
common  among  our  dogs,  and  many  die  of  it.  22d.  The  ice 
moved  all  in  one  body,  but  soon  stopped.  Indian  women 
are  making  sugar.  Saw  another  sturgeon  jump.  2jd.  My 
men  returned  from  Reed  river ;  they  had  seen  two  calves  of 
this  year.    We  now  see  many  kinds  of  summer  birds.   ^7///. 


•i   1 
i 


**  In  tauteaux,  or  the  la^e  skin  sacks  in  which  it  was  to  be  packed  for  trans- 
portation, so  that  its  removal  in  loose  bulk  was  a  tedious  process.  For  the 
taureaux,  see  beyond,  where  Henry  repeatedly  uses  the  word;  but  it  baffled  his 
copyist,  as  1  find  it  farirtaux,  ieauveaux,  taveraux,  terraux,  etc. 


174 


THOUSANDS  OF  BUFFALO  DROWNED. 


I  killed  two  cows ;  they  have  an  ugly  appearance,  as  their 
long  winter  hair  is  falling  in  large  patches.  28th.  A  snow- 
storm caused  the  wild  fowl  to  return  southward,  joth.  Rain 
broke  up  the  ice ;  it  drifted  in  large  masses,  making  a  great 
noise  by  crushing,  tumblii.j,  and  tossing  in  every  direction, 
driven  by  a  strong  current.  Many  trunks  of  trees  and  much 
mud  are  carried  down  on  the  ice.  It  continued  to  drift  on 
the  31st,  bearing  great  numbers  of  dead  buffalo  from  above, 
which  must  have  been  drowned  in  attempting  to  cross  while 
the  ice  was  weak.  My  four  men  returned  from  Portage  la 
Prairie.  The  water  is  falling  fast,  leaving  us  an  ugly,  dirty 
bank,  covered  with  nearly  a  foot  of  slime  and  mud  ;  had  it 
risen  two  feet  more,  we  should  have  had  it  in  our  houses. 
A  heavy  fall  of  snow. 

Wednesday,  Apr.  ist.  The  river  clear  of  ice,  but  drowned 
buffalo  continue  to  drift  by  entire  herds.  Several  are 
lodged  on  the  banks  near  the  fort.  The  women  cut  up 
some  of  the  fattest  for  their  own  use ;  the  flesh  appeared  to 
be  fresh  and  good.  It  is  really  astonishing  what  vast  num- 
bers have  perished  ;  they  formed  one  continuous  line  in  the 
current  for  two  days  and  nights."  One  of  my  men  found 
a  herd  that  had  fallen  through  the  ice  in  Park  river  and  all 
been  drowned  ;  they  were  sticking  in  the  ice,  which  had  not 
yet  moved  in  that  part.  The  women  had  excellent  sport  in 
raising  the  back  fat  and  tongues.  On  the  5th,  the  plains 
having  been  clear  of  snow  and  dry,  we  had  two  feet  of  snow, 
and  the  river  nearly  froze  over  again.  We  brought  our 
baggage  into  the  fort.    jth.    One  of  my  men  brought  in 


'*  This  account  is  not  exaggerated.  John  McDonnell's  Journal  of  May  l8th, 
1795,  when  he  was  descending  Qu'Appelle  r.,  states:  "Observing  a  good 
many  carcasses  of  buffaloes  in  the  river  and  along  its  banks,  I  was  taken  up  the 
whole  day  with  counting  them,  and,  to  my  surprise,  found  I  had  numbered 
when  we  put  up  at  night,  7,360,  drowned  and  mired  along  the  river  and  in  it. 
It  is  true,  in  one  or  two  places,  I  went  on  shore  and  walked  from  one  carcass 
to  the  other,  where  they  lay  from  three  to  five  files  deep"  (Masson,  I.  1889,  p. 
294).  It  is  probable  that  the  total  number  of  buffalo  killed  by  man  in  those 
day^  was  insignificant  in  comparison  with  the  destruction  wrought  by  the  war- 
ring of  nature's  elements  against  the  poor  brutes. 


ADVANCE  OF  THE  SEASON— FORT  DAUPHIN. 


'75 


three  wolves  of  this  year,  which  he  had  found  in  z  hole  in 
the  ground ;  they  sometimes  have  their  young  in  a  hollow 
log  or  stump.  The  river  almost  every  morning  frozen  over, 
but  drifting  in  the  afternoon.  I  sent  a  man  on  the  9th  to 
Reed  river  with  directions  for  Langlois  concerning  his 
Indians.  Another  of  my  men  brought  in  six  young  wolves 
he  had  found  in  one  hole;  they  were  very  tame,  and  we 
proposed  to  keep  them  for  the  trains,  as  they  are  of  the 
large  species.    The  ground  was  clear  of  snow  on  the  loth. 

The  Indians  are  in  continual  alarm  on  account  of  the 
Sioux ;  they  wish  to  persuade  .  ^  they  see  them  almost 
every  day,  and  have  made  a  kind  of  fort  or  barrier  with 
trees  and  brushwood.  I  made  up  my  pemmican  into  bags 
of  90  pounds  each — 50  pounds  of  beef  and  40  pounds  of 
grease.  The  women  continue  to  cut  up  drowned  buffalo  to 
make  tallow.  Crow  arrived  from  Red  lake  with  letters  from 
there  and  Lac  la  Pluie.  The  horses  got  safe  to  their  des- 
tination last  February.  /////.  Fine  warm  weather.  Buf- 
falo are  now  mostly  with  calves  of  this  spnng.  I2t/t. 
Frogs  began  to  croak.  I  made  up  my  packs,  ijt/t.  May- 
miutch  came  down  Park  river  in  a  skin  canoe,  with  25 
beaver  skins,  1 2  of  which  were  still  in  the  meat ;  he  had  only 
been  gone  two  days.  i8th.  Rain ;  drowned  buffalo  still 
drifting  down  the  river,  but  not  in  such  vast  numbers  as 
before,  many  having  lodged  on  the  banks  and  along  the 
beach.    Desmarais  arrived  from  Fort  Dauphin,**  via  Portage 

*"  Fort  Dauphin  of  Verendrye  is  given  on  a  recent  historical  map  (Devine's, 
Ontario,  1878)  as  having  been  situated,  "  before  1749,"  o"  the  W.  side  of  pres- 
ent Lake  St.  Martin,  which  discharges  by  present  Dauphin  r.  into  Sturgeon  bay 
of  Lake  Winnipeg — and  not  on  present  Lake  Dauphin,  which  lies  W.  of  Lake 
Manitoba.  The  date  appears  to  be  1 741  ;  for  Verendrye,  returning  from  a  visit 
to  Canada  he  had  made  in  1740  (after  his  Mandan  tour),  reached  Fort  la  Reine 
at  Portage  la  Prairie  on  the  Assiniboine,  Oct.  13th,  1741,  and  pushed  on  to 
found  Fort  Dauphin  on  the  lake  which  thereupon  received  its  name.  There  is 
no  question  in  my  mind  that  Verendrye  located  his  Fort  Dauphin  at  the  N.  W. 
angle  of  Lake  Manitoba,  at  or  near  the  E.  end  of  present  Meadow  portage 
(which  goes  over  to  Lake  Winnipegoosis).  This  position  is  clearly  indicated  on 
Gallisoniire's  Carte,  "dresst^e  sur  les  memoires  de  M'.  de  la  Vdrandrie,"  etc., 
1750.     The  map  in  Ontario  Sessional  Papers  for  1889,  XXI.  pt.  vi.,  marks  the 


1 


176 


FORT   DAUPHIN. 


la  Prairie ;  he  complains  of  having  passed  a  very  disagreeable 
winter.  I  sent  two  men  in  a  small  canoe  for  Portage  la 
Prairie,  with  two  kegs  of  high  wine  and  one  bale  of  goods. 
20th.  Indians  arrived  in  skin  canoes  from  the  Salt  river ; 
they  are  alarmed,  having,  as  they  said,  seen  the  enemy ; 
but  this  they  say  every  day,  being  anxious  to  drift  down 
river.  22d,  Pigeons  flying  N.  in  great  numbers.  Desma- 
rais  caught  one  sturgeon,  three  large  catfish,  and  a  number 
of  smaller  fishes.  25th.  Drowned  buffalo  drift  down  river 
day  and  night.  26th.  I  sent  Desmarais  with  a  man  in  a  skin 
canoe  to  Langlois ;  the  latter  is  to  proceed  to  Portage  la 
Prairie  with  dispatches  for  Mr.  Chaboillez.  Smoke  is  rising 
in  every  direction  ;  this  is  caused  by  the  Indians  returning 
from  their  beaver  hunts.  We  shot  three  large  bears  swim- 
ming down  river  opposite  the  fort.  2gth.  Desmarais 
having  brought  me  a  horse  from  Portage  la  Prairie  I  went 
hunting  and  chased  buffalo ;  but  the  ground  being  slippery 
my  horse  fell,  and  I  cut  my  head  on  the  cock  of  my  gun. 
I  killed  four  calves,  of  which  I  took  only  the  thighs,  and 
brought  two  calves  home  alive ;  they  no  sooner  lost  sight 


1^  I 


same  position.  A.  Begg's  Hist.  N.  W.,  I.  p.  84,  and  D.  Mills,  Rep.  Ont.  Gov., 
are  to  the  identical  effect.  Almost  every  indication  points  clearly  to  the  N .  W. 
angle  of  Lake  Manitoba,  and  I  see  no  reason  to  bring  either  present  Lake 
Dauphin  or  present  Lake  St.  Martin  into  the  case.  But  settlement  of  Vcren> 
drye's  original  position  does  not  dispose  of  the  question,  Where  was  the  N.  W. 
Co.  Fort  Dauphin — the  post  operative  in  Henry's  time  7  Peter  Pond's  N.  W. 
Co.  map,  pub.  in  Canadian  Arch.  Rep.,  1890,  p.  53,  marks  "Fort  Diuphin, 
I775>  P-  P."  on  present  Lake  Dauphin.  Again,  Devine's  Crown  Lands  map  of 
1857  letters  "  Dauphin  L.  and  Ho."  on  the  S.  side  of  present  Lake  Dauphin,  a 
little  S.E.  from  the  position  assigned  to  Fort  Dauphin  by  Pond. 

One  Fort  Dauphin  is  on  record  as  the  scene  of  a  smallpox  epidemic  in  1780. 
In  navigating  Lake  St.  Martin,  Sept.,  1797,  Thompson  speaks  of  an  "old 
house  of  Cameron  and  Latour  "  there  ;  he  goes  on  to  say  that  Michel  AUerie 
was  being  fitted  out  by  Cuthbert  Grant  for  the  N.  W.  Co.'s  Fort  Dauphin, 
but  does  not  specify  its  position.  That  is  just  the  trouble — this  Fort  Dauphin, 
of  Thompson's  and  Henry's  time— during  the  whole  life  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  in  fact 
— was  so  well  known  that  nobody  I  have  read  takes  the  pains  to  say  where  it 
was.  But  Thompson's  large  unpub.  map  marks  "  N.W.  Co."  on  the  S.  side  of 
present  Lake  Dauphin,  on  a  river  running  N.  into  this  lake  ;  and  if  this  mark 
means  Fort  Dauphin,  it  settles  the  case. 


cows  AND  CALVES— CANOES  SENT  OFF. 


177 


of  the  herd  than  they  followed  my  horse  like  dogs,  directly 
into  the  fort.  On  chasing  a  herd  at  this  seasun,  the  calves 
follow  until  they  are  fatigued,  when  they  throw  themselves 
down  in  high  gr«as  and  lie  still,  hiding  their  heads,  if  possi- 
ble. On  coming  to  them  they  start  to  run,  but  seeing  only 
the  person  and  his  horse,  remain  quiet  and  allow  themselves 
to  be  taken.  Having  been  a  little  handled,  they  follow  like 
dogs.  But  if  they  are  not  discovered  by  the  hunter  they 
keep  still  until  their  mothers  return  in  search  of  them,  as  I 
observed  to^lay — while  cutting  up  a  calf  on  a  low  piece  of 
ground.  I  heard  something  running  toward  me,  and  on 
looking  up  saw  a  large  cow  coming  over  the  little  rising 
ground  directly  at  me.  I  had  only  time  to  qatch  up  my 
gun  and  fire,  at  which  she  turned  about  at  full  speed.  My 
consternation  was  so  great  I  did  not  take  proper  aim,  and 
so  only  slightly  wounded  her ;  she  looked  very  fierce,  and 
I  believe,  had  my  gun  been  a  few  yards  further  off,  she 
would  have  attacked  me.  joth.  Chased  a  herd  and  killed 
two.  They  are  now  getting  in  very  good  flesh.  Killed 
also  two  calves,  whose  thighs  make  excellent  steaks. 
Drowned  buffalo  drift  as  usual.  Indians  making  skin 
canoes  and  preparing  to  embark. 

May  ist.  The  3tench  from  the  vast  numbers  of  drowned 
buffalo  along  the  river  was  intolerable.  Gummed  my 
canoes.  2d.  Two  hunters  arrived  in  a  skin  canoe  from 
Grandes  Fourches  with  30  beaver  and  7  bear  skins.  They 
tell  me  the  number  of  buffalo  lying  along  the  beach  and 
on  the  banks  above  passes  all  imagination  ;  they  form  one 
continuous  line,  and  emit  a  horrid  stench.  I  am  informed 
that  every  spring  it  is  about  the  same. 

May  4th.  All  hands  up  early,  prepared  for  embarkation ; 
Indians  still  drinking,  and  troublesome  for  liquor.  At  ten 
o'clock  I  sent  off  the  canoes  with  45  pieces  of  90  pounds 
each  per  canoe,  but  only  two  men,  there  being  no  room  for 
more  on  board.  Quantities  of  fresh  meat  remain  in  my 
provision  store,  perfectly  good  to  eat.  The  canoes  were  no 
sooner  of!  than  the  women  and  children  began  to  rummage 


178 


PARK   RIVER  POST   EVACUATED. 


r 


the  buildings,  even  raising  the  floors,  to  search  for  any  trifle 
that  might  have  been  lost  during  the  winter.  I  remained 
till  noon,  wishing  them  to  embark  on  board  their  skin 
canoes,  which  they  then  did  ;  and,  having  seen  them  all  off, 
I  bid  adieu  to  Park  river,  and  started  on  horseback.  On 
my  way  down  I  chased  a  herd,  killed  a  tolerably  fat 
young  bull,  and  got  a  tumble  from  my  horse.  Encamped 
at  the  Bois  Percd  with  my  people,  I  was  actually  prevented 
from  taking  supper  by  the  stench  of  drowned  buffalo  that 
lay  on  the  banks  in  a  state  of  putrefaction.  Early  on  the 
5th  the  canoes  were  off,  and  I  soon  followed  on  horseback. 
I  chased  a  herd,  and  killed  a  cow  and  a  calf.  I  have  an  ex- 
cellent horse,  for  the  chase — an  old  hunter,  very  swift  and 
well  trained  to  the  business ;  he  comes  from  the  Mandancs. 
We  found  it  impossible  to  cross  our  horses  over  Panbian 
river  at  the  entrance  ;  the  mud  and  mire  were  too  deep. 
This  obliged  us  to  go  up  to  Tongue  river,  and  even  there 
we  were  under  the  necessity  of  making  a  raft,  and  had  a 
deal  of  trouble.  We  camped  at  the  Eagle's  Nest.  6th.  It 
rained,  with  a  cold  N.  W.  wind.  At  nine  o'clock  I  reached 
Reed  river,  half  frozen  •'nd  wet  to  the  skin.  The  canoes 
arrived  at  three  o'clock  and  unloaded.  Several  of  Langlois' 
Indians  not  yet  arrived  from  their  spring  hunt ;  no  fresh 
meat,  although  buffalo  were  at  hand.  jth.  Some  men  hunt- 
ing  and  others  seining ;  all  were  successful.  The  sturgeon 
was  excellent.  The  men  brought  in  a  parcel  of  ducks' 
eggs  which  they  found  in  the  marais. 

May  8th.  The  Indians  arrived  and  commenced  drinking. 
Tabashaw  was  very  troublesome.  I  had  a  long  quarrel 
with  him  ;  he  told  me  he  was  independent  of  everybody,  as 
he  had  a  secret  power  of  making  rum,  iron  arrows,  etc.  It 
was  some  time  before  I  got  rid  of  him.  Soon  afterward, 
Chamanau's  wife  came  to  me ;  she  is  a  very  decent,  sober 
woman,  for  a  native ;  she  had  overheard  our  dispute,  and 
asked  me  if  I  knew  what  Tabashaw  meant  by  saying  he  was 
independent,  telling  me  she  would  explain  it.  Some  time 
ago  Tabashaw  did  his  juggling,  fasting,  and  singing  when 


TABASHAW   RECEIVES  A    REVELATION. 


179 


he  was  out  alone,  setting  his  beaver  traps.  He  relates  that 
one  night  during  the  ceremonies,  a  person  dressed  in  a  white 
linen  shirt,  rather  dirty,  a  short  black  ja(  ket  and  brcechcj, 
stockings  and  shoes,  appeared  to  him,  called  him  comrade 
in  a  formal  manner,  and  asked  him  what  he  was  doing. 
Tabashaw  told  him  he  was  hunting  beaver.  They  then 
seated  themselves  and  had  a  long  conversation,  the  whole  of 
which  Tabashaw  does  not  think  proper  to  divulge,  but  says 
that  he  was  told,  among  many  other  things,  that  the  In- 
dians were  wrong  in  addressing  themselves  to  the  sun  for 
favor  or  protection  when  they  performed  any  ceremony, 
made  feasts  or  medicine  affairs,  or  prepared  for  war ;  that 
the  sun  had  no  power  over  mankind  ;  that  only  he  who  now 
spoke  to  Tabashaw  had  command  of  the  world  and  all  that 
moved  on  the  face  of  the  earth — he  who  was  the  great 
Shaymanitou  [Kitchimanitou]  or  Father  of  Life,  the  good 
spirit  to  whom  Indians  should  address  themselves  on  all 
occasions — he  who  knew  everything  that  went  on  in  the 
world,  and  continually  moved  up  and  down  to  keep  things 
in  order.  In  proof  of  his  perpetual  perambulation  he 
pointed  to  the  condition  of  his  shoes,  which  were  almost 
worn  out.  Tabashaw  then  gave  him  a  new  pair  to  help  him 
on  his  route.  The  great  spirit  further  told  him  that  the 
traders  treated  him  (Tabashaw)  very  ill,  and,  therefore,  he 
must  return  them  his  medals ;  while  as  for  liquor,  ammuni> 
tion,  and  tobacco,  he  should  never  want  for  any — at  the 
same  ti:ne  putting  a  writing  in  his  hand,  by  virtue  of  which 
he  could  procure  whatever  he  wanted.  The  ghostly  vis- 
itor  then  asked  where  Tabashaw  had  set  his  traps ;  the 
places  were  pointed  out,  and  then,  after  they  had  smoked 
a  couple  of  pipes  together,  the  spirit  vanished.  Next 
morning,  on  going  to  his  traps,  Tabashaw  found  the  per- 
son had  hauled  them  on  the  banks,  and  pulled  up  the 
stakes  to  which  they  were  tied.  I  suspected  the  fellow 
had  been  breeding  this  story  all  the  spring,  in  hopes  the 
Indians  would  believe  him,  and  that  by  such  means  he 
could  recover  the  authority  he  had  lost  over  the  Saulteurs. 


i8o 


WOOD  TICKS— PLANS  FOR  THE  SUMMER. 


He  is  a  sly  scoundrel,  and  I  shall  take  measures  to  coun. 
teract  his  proceedings/' 

Ever  since  April  25th  we  have  been  plagued  with  wood 
ticks  [a  species  of  Ixodes] ;  and  now  that  we  are  daily  in 
the  woods  and  grass,  our  clothes  swarm  with  those  trouble* 
some  and  dangerous  insects,  which  often  get  into  the  ear 
and  cause  inflammation.  When  they  have  time  to  get 
Arm  hold  they  cannot  be  removed  without  pulling  the  body 
from  the  head,  which  remains  in  the  skin,  and  causes  an  itch- 
ing which  may  last  for  several  months.  The  bellies  of  our 
horses  and  dogs  are  covered  with  them  ;  they  adhere  to  the 
flesh  until  they  have  sucked  themselves  full  of  blood  and 
are  swelled  nearly  to  the  size  of  a  musket  ball,  when  they 
fall  off  of  themselves.  Their  natural  size  is  about  that  of  a 
grain  of  barley,  and  in  shape  they  are  perfectly  flat,  with  a 
tough,  hard  skin,  of  a  chestnut  color.  They  continue  to 
the  end  of  July,  when  they  suddenly  disappear. 

May  loth.  Two  of  my  men  came  from  Portage  la 
Prairie,  nth.  All  the  Indians  arrived  ;  also,  a  canoe  from 
Red  lake,  containing  an  Indian  and  his  family,  with  20 
beaver  and  Ave  bear  skins.  12th.  I  assembled  them  all, 
and  gave  them  five  kegs  of  mixed  rum  gratis,  besides  cloth- 
ings to  the  two  chiefs,  Vieux  Collier  and  Chamanau,  with  a 
long  speech,  telling  them  how  they  must  conduct  them- 
selves, and  informing  them  of  my  determination  to  build  a 
fort  this  summer  on  Panbian  river,  where  Langlois  was  to 
remain  with  six  men  for  that  purpose.  Three  men  arrived 
1  from  Portage  la  Prairie  with  tools  for  building,  bringing  also 
30  very  small  potatoes,  making  about  half  a  hat  full,  and 
four  horses  to  haul  wood.  i^ih.  The  plains  on  fire  in 
every  direction,  and  smoke  darkens  the  air. 

May  15th.  I  made  up  the  packs.  Indians  drinking  and 
troublesome.     Engaged  Langlois,   Desmarais,   Pierre,  and 

*'  No  doubt  the  "  sly  scoundrel "  was  lying,  and  perhaps  the  story  was  made  of 
whole  cloth ;  nevertheless,  see  Tanner,  p.  134,  where  Tabushshah  is  spoken  of 
in  connection  with  a  certain  Aguskogaut,  named  as  "  a  Muskego  chief,"  who 
"  called  himself  a  prophet  of  the  Great  Spirit,  like  the  one  who  appeared  some 


SKIN  CANOES— PEMBINA  SITE  SELECTED. 


I8l 


some  others  to  settle  the  men's  accounts.  i6th.  I  sent  off 
the  canoes  with  the  remaining  property,  the  summer  men, 
etc.,  for  Panbian  river,  and  dispatched  to  the  Forks  two 
men  in  two  skin  canoes  loaded  with  bags  of  pemmican, 
lo  in  each. 

These  canoes  are  made  by  constructing  a  frame  with  wil- 
lows, nearly  in  the  shape  of  a  canoe,  and  stretching  one  or 
sometimes  two  raw  buffalo  hides  over  this  frame,  according 
to  the  required  size ;  if  two,  they  are  cut  square  at  the 
shoulders  and  sewed  together  with  sinews.  The  sides  are 
then  brought  over  the  largest  willow,  which  serves  as  the 
gunnel,  and  lashed  fast  with  leather  cords.  The  hair  is 
generally  on  the  inside.  These  canoes  will  carry  great 
loads,  but  it  is  necessary  to  unload  them  at  least  once  a  day 
and  dry  them  in  the  sun  or  over  the  fire ;  otherwise  they 
would  soon  sink.  They  are  only  fit  for  drifting  down  the 
current. 

May  tph.  The  baggages,  40  pieces  per  canoe  and  two 
men  in  each,  were  sent  ol!  to  the  Forks.  I  went  up  to  Pan- 
bian river  on  horseback  to  find  a  proper  spot  for  building. 
I  got  there  at  twelve  o'clock,  crossed  Red  river  with  Des- 
marais,  planted  my  potatoes  and  sowed  a  few  garden  seeds 
on  the  spot  where  Mr.  Grant's  fort  stood.  We  recrossed, 
and,  after  examining  the  ground,  pitched  on  the  N.  side  of 
Panbian  river,  at  the  point  of  land  between  that  and  Red 
river,  about  100  paces  from  each.  The  ground  was  so  encum- 
bered with  large  fallen  trees,  and  the  underwood  so  intri- 
cate, that  we  could  not  see  ten  yards  before  us ;  however, 
I  drew  out  the  place  as  soon  as  possible.  Between  this 
spot  and  the  plains  on  the  W.  are  great  numbers  of  fine 
large  oaks,  very  proper  for  building,  and  on  the  N.  side,  be- 
tween this  and  a  small  rivulet,  are  plenty  of  fine  large  bois 
blancs,  proper  for  flooring  and  covering.     The  stockades 


[O 


years  since  among  the  Shawanees."  Tanner's  probable  date  is  too  late  for  the 
particular  story  Henry  had  from  Tabashaw  ;  but  the  woods  were  as  full  of 
volunteer  Messiahs  in  those  days  as  they  are  now,  and  Tabashaw  could  easily 
have  been  favored  with  such  a  revelation  as  he  professed  to  have  received. 


Ir  \i 


182        GRAND.  MEDICINE— PEMBINA  PARTY  DETAILED. 

must  be  hauled  from  some  distance  below,  where  there  are 
fine  patches  of  poplar. 

This  being  settled,  I  remained  for  the  night  and  slept  in 
the  old  [Chaboillez's]  fort  on  the  S.  side.  Fleas  and  wood 
lice  made  me  very  uncomfortable ;  the  former  always 
abound  in  our  old  buildings  and  are  very  troublesome. 
Early  on  the  i8th  we  returned  to  Reed  river  and  found  the 
Indians  busy  making  the  grand  medicine — a  ceremony  per- 
formed every  spring,  when  they  meet  and  there  is  some 
novice  to  be  admitted  into  the  mysteries  of  this  solemn 
affair.  On  this  occasion  two  young  men  were  received,  be- 
sides  a  woman  and  Langlois'  girl.  Many  curious  circum- 
stances are  reported  concerning  the  admittance  of  women 
into  this  mystery  of  mysteries.  The  most  ancient  and 
famous  for  the  art  among  the  men,  it  is  said,  take  every 
privilege  with  a  novice  and  are  granted  every  favor  they 
wish  to  enjoy. 

I/ay  igth.  I  embarked,  leaving  all  hands  preparing  to 
proceed  up  to  Panbian  river.  Mr.  Langlois  is  principal 
trader ;  Desmarais  is  in  charge  of  the  garden,  horses,  fishing, 
etc.;  Le  Due  [?]  conducts  the  work  with  Rainville  [Dais- 
ville],  Dubord  [Dubois],  Hamel,  Pouliotte  [Pouliot] ;  and  Le 
Boeuf  [an  Indian]  is  to  hunt.*'    The  Indians  saluted  me  with 


ii 


"  Compare  the  list  on  p.  77.  The  name  "  Le  Due  "  does  not  appear  there, 
and  looks  as  if  it  here  stands  for  Larocque :  but  see  Oct.  27th,  1801,  beyond. 
There  is  no  difficulty  in  identifying  the  other  names,  though  here  is  the  one 
place  where  we  find ' '  Rainville  "  for  the  Daisville  or  Donville  of  p.  50  ;  I  suspect 
that  Rainville  is  the  proper  na>?e.  With  regard  to  the  functions  of  this  man, 
Dubois,  Hamel,  and  Pouliot,  the  punctuation  of  the  copy  is  ambiguous ;  I  con- 
strue it  that  they  are  all  to  work  under  "Le  Due,"  and  that  the  Indian  Le 
Cceuf  is  the  only  professional  hunter :  he  is  eulogized  in  this  capacity 
beyond  (Nov.  3d,  1802).  But  in  citing  this  passage  Bell,  /.  t,  p.  8,  has :  "  Le 
Dice  \sU\,  conductor  of  the  work:  with  Rainville,  Dubard  [/iV],  Hamel,  Pou- 
livette  [nV],  and  Le  Bwuf,  to  hunt."  Whatever  their  respective  functions,  this 
is  the  definitely  ascertained  party  who  break  up  the  post  of  1800-01  on  Roseau 
or  Reed  r.,  and  proceed  to  establish  a  new  post  on  the  N.  side  of  the  mouth  of 
Pembina  r.,  at  the  site  Henry  selected  May  17th.  See  p.  80,  and  note  present 
confirmation  of  positions  there  assigned  to  Grant's,  Chaboillez's,  and  Henry's 
houses,  respectively. 


DOWN   RED  RIVER  TO  THE  FORKS. 


i«3 


firearms  as  I  pushed  off  from  the  shore,  and  told  me  to  make 
all  expedition  possible,  as  they  would  soon  be  thirsty.  We 
camped  at  the  salt  pit,  very  much  troubled  with  mosquitoes 
and  woodticks.  Early  on  the  20th  we  embarked.  At  five 
o'clock  we  perceived  three  black  bears  on  the  beach.  I 
debarked  and  approached  them,  when,  upon  firing  at  the 
largest,  which  I  killed  dead  on  the  spot,  the  other  two 
climbed  up  an  oak,  whence  I  knocked  them  both  down 
The  fur  is  still  very  fine  and  the  skins  valuable.  At  the 
entrance  of  Rat  river  I  perceived  a  large  moose,  and  went 
after  him ;  but  he  decamped.  Killed  an  outarde,  a  duck,  and 
a  pigeon.  At  Riviere  la  Sale  I  saw  two  moose  crossing.  I 
debarked  and  went  after  them  by  making  a  circuit  in  the 
woods ;  but  they  had  landed  before  I  could  reach  the  spot. 
I  made  a  turn  in  the  woods,  and  finding  myself  at  a  proper 
distance,  I  was  approaching,  when  they  started  and  rushed 
back  to  the  river.  I  chased  and  found  them  already  more 
than  half  over.  I  fired  at  the  nearest  one  and  lodged  the 
ball  in  his  head  between  the  ears,  which  killed  him  in* 
stantly,  but  he  sunk  to  the  bottom.  My  canoe  joined  me ; 
we  drifted  slowly  down  with  the  current,  and  soon  saw  the 
ears  of  the  moose  appear  out  of  water.  We  hauled  him 
ashore,  cut  him  up,  and  took  the  meat  in  my  canoe. 

At  sunst^t  we  arrived  at  the  Forks,  where  I  found  my 
people  waiting  for  me.  No  news  from  Assiniboine  river, 
except  that  they  are  starving  at  Portage  la  Prairie,  and 
exist  only  on  esquebois  [Psoralea  esculenta  .^],  a  root  about 
the  thickness  and  length  of  a  man's  finger,  which  may  be 
termed  the  wild  potato  or  pomme  de  terre  of  this  country ; 
it  has  a  thin  skin  of  a  yellowish  color,  the  inside  perfectly 
white,  and  when  boiled  is  tolerably  good  eating.  They  are 
also  eaten  raw,  but  are  then  of  a  windy  nature,  and  some* 
times  cause  a  severe  colic.  I  have  known  people  to  suffer 
much  after  eating  a  moderate  quantity. 

May  2i5t.  Men  fishing  with  hook  and  line,  and  others 
with  the  seine ;  all  were  successful,  taking  plenty  of  catfish, 
sturgeon,  lacaishe,  and  other  kinds. 


K 


184 


OFF  FOR  GRAND  PORTAGE. 


May  22d,  Gave  my  people  directions  to  take  care  of  the 
baggage,  and  set  off  on  horseback  for  Portage  la  Prairie, 
where  I  arrived  at  dusk.  Found  all  hands  actually  starving. 
I  remained  here  until  June  ist,  when  I  embarked  for 
Grand  Portage  in  a  light  canoe  with  eight  men. 

RETURNS    OP    LOWER  RED  RIVER  DEPARTMENT,   180O-OI. 


Beaver  skins;  weight,  1,904  lbs. . 

Black  bear  skins 

Brown  bear  do 

Grizzly  bear  do 

Wolf  do 

Red  fox        do 

Kitt  do 

Raccoon       do 

Fisher  do 

Otter  do 

Marten         do 

Mink  do 

Wolverene    do 

Loup-cervier  do 

Dressed  moose  and  biche  skins. . . 
Shaved  and  parchment  do. . . . 
Muskrat  do. . . . 

Buffalo  robes 

Badger  skins , 

Packs  of  90  lbs.  each 

Bags  of  pemmican  of  90  lbs.  each 

Kegs  of  grease 

*'     ••  beef 

Bales  of  dried  meat 


USD  RIVH, 
M.  LANGLOU. 


83a 

20 

4 
III 

82 

9 

37 

108 

60 

26 

68 

a 

9 
I 

63 
t 

26 
I 

26 


20 


rARK  mVBR, 
A.  MSMRY. 


Gain,  Halifax  currency,  ;^i,9S8  lis.  iid. 


643 

125 

23 

2 
83 

loa 

7 
160 
70 
36 
36 
29 

3 
II 
20 
29 
26 
31 

9 
34 


57 


4 

7 

to 


TOTALS,  IN 
4  CANOn. 


1,475 

177 

43 

6 

204 

184 

16 

.  197 

178 

96 

63 

97 
5 
20 
21 
93 
97 
56 
10 
60 


77 


4 

7 

10 


CHAPTER  IV. 


/ 


THE  PEMBINA  RIVER  POST:    l80I-02. 

21 UG.  22d,  1 80 1.'  We  arrived  at  the  Forks  of  the  Assin- 
^^  iboine ;  sent  on  the  canoes ;  took  the  horse  myself, 
and,  with  two  men,  proceeded  by  land  up  the  Assiniboine 
three  leagues  to  the  Grand  Passage,  where  we  crossed,  hav- 
ing the  water  up  to  our  saddles.  Came  on,  and  slept  at  the 
passage  on  Sale  river. 

Aug.  2jd.  Early  we  were  on  our  horses  ;  saw  numerous 
herds  of  buffalo  in  the  grand  traverse,  and  at  sunset  reached 
Panbian  river,  where  we  found  camped,  near  the  fort,  55  men 
bearing  arms — the  same  people  we  traded  with  last  winter, 
with  a  few  more  Saulteurs  from  Red  lake.  Not  an  Assini- 
boine or  a  Cree  has  been  here  during  the  summer.  The 
former  are  doubtful  of  the  behavior  of  the  Saulteurs  toward 
them  ;  the  latter  have  made  several  trips  to  the  Assiniboine, 
and  purchased  a  number  of  horses,  for  guns  and  medicines. 
The  latter  are  of  their  own  collection,  and  consist  of  differ- 
ent roots  and  barks,  some  of  which  are  found  on  this  river, 
and  others  are  brought  from  the  Fond  du  Lac  country,  and 
even  from  the  south  side  of  Lake  Superior.  I  found  the 
stockades  erected,  and  our  houses  and  stores  nearly  finished. 
My  people  have  been  alarmed  the  whole  summer,  our 
Indians  telling  them  almost  every  day  that  they  saw  the 
enemy.    Those  alerts,  however,  always  proved  to  be  false — 

'  A  new  narrative  begins  abruptly  at  this  date.  Henry  has  been  to  Grand 
Portage,  on  Lake  Superior,  during  this  summer,  and  has  returned,  thus  making 
a  journey  of  which  we  have  no  account.  We  pick  him  up  at  the  confluence  of 
the  Assiniboine  with  Red  r. — at  Winnipeg.  He  is  en  route  to  the  post  which 
Michel  Langlois  established  last  May  at  the  mouth  of  Pembina  r.  He  sends 
his  brigade  up  Red  r.  to  that  place,  and  goes  himself  by  land,  his  first  move 
being  up  the  Assiniboine  to  the  fording-place  known  as  the  Grand  Passage  ; 
whence  he  continues  to  camp  at  Riviire  la  Sale  :  for  this,  see  note  ",  p.  55. 

A  185 


i86 


ARRANGEMENTS  FOR  THE  SEASON. 


merely  schemes  to  shelter  their  indolence,  as  they  have 
done  nothing,  not  even  providing  any  provisions,  though 
buffalo  have  been  very  numerous,  commonly  in  sight  of  the 
fort.  Ten  packs  of  furs  and  skins  have  been  brought  by  the 
Indians  from  Red  lake,  etc.  On  the  28th  my  canoes  and 
bateaux  arrived.  I  gave  the  Indians  a  present  of  ten  kegs 
of  mixed  liquor  and  as  many  fathoms  of  tobacco,  for  which 
I  did  not  receive  one  penny ;  still,  several  were  displeased 
and  asked  for  more. 

Aug.joth.  Indians  still  drinking,  and  very  troublesome. 
I  gave  the  summer  men  their  equipments  and  advances, 
and  made  up  an  assortment  of  goods  of  25  pieces  for 
Grandes  Fourches,*  and  another  of  1 5  pieces  for  the  Hair 
hills. 

An  Indian  arrived  with  his  family  in  a  small  canoe,  15 
days  from  Leech  lake,  bringing  intelligence  of  several  Saul- 
teurs  having  murdered  one  another  in  a  drinking  match  at 
that  place  a  few  days  before  he  left.  This  caused  a  ter- 
rible uproar  in  camp  here,  the  deceased  persons  being  near 
relatives  to  some  of  our  Indians,  among  whom  were  also 
persons  related  to  the  murderers ;  the  former  insisted  on 
retaliating,  and  it  was  with  great  trouble  that  we  prevented 
them  by  taking  away  their  arms.  They  were  all  drunk,  and 
kept  up  a  terrible  bawling,  lamentinfr  the  deaths  of  their 
relations.    The  liquor  tended  to  augment  their  grief. 

Sept.  1st.  I  sent  off  the  boat  for  Grandes  Fourches, 
John  Cameron,  master.  He  goes  by  land  with  four  horses. 
I  also  sent  'ff  Langlois  with  four  men  and  five  small 
carts,  each  Jrawn  by  one  horse,  loaded  with  three  packs 
of  goods  and  baggage.  Indians  now  sober  and  decamp- 
ing to  follow  their  traders,  some  to  Grandes  Fourches, 
and  others  to  the  Hair  hills.  I  sent  a  party  of  my  men 
for  buffalo ;  Joseph  Roy*  served  as  hunter. 

*  Of  Red  r.— 'present  Grand  Forks,  N.  Dak.,  at  which  point  Henry  was 
about  to  establish  a  post :  see  note  '*,  p.  137. 

'  Persons  named  Roy,  Roi,  Le  Roy,  Leroy,  etc.,  were  many  in  the  fur-trade  ; 
their  names  frequently  appear,  for  the  most  part  without  Christian  appellatives, 


\ 


H.   B.  AND  X.   Y.  OPPOSITION. 


187 


Sept.  yth.  Bras  Court's  [Short  Arm's]  daughter  died, 
aged  nine  years.  Great  lamentation — must  have  a  keg  01 
liquor  to  wash  away  the  grief  f >orr.  the  heart,  a  fathom  of 
cloth  to  cover  the  body,  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  ver- 
milion to  paint  the  same.  On  the  13th  Thomas  Miller, 
with  eight  Orkney  men  of  the  H.  B.  Co.,  arrived  from 
Albany  factory  and  began  to  build  below  me,  on  the  E. 
side  of  Red  river  [appar.  about  site  of  present  St.  Vincent, 
Minn.].  They  have  one  boat  and  one  canoe.  I  went 
hunting  on  horseback,  killed  two  buffalo,  and  had  the 
misfortune  to  burst  my  double-barreled  gun.  iph.  I 
went  below  to  meet  the  X.  Y.  opposition.  Found  Mr. 
Desfond*  building  at  Riviere  aux  Gratias;  he  had  one 

and  hence  are  not  eaiily  identified.  We  have  had  already  in  Henry,  £tienne 
Roy :  see  list,  p.  51,  and  compare  note  '*,  p.  137.  I  have  made  memoranda 
of  the  following :  Aimable  Roy's  family  was  one  of  seven  of  which  the  settle- 
ment of  Baye  Verte  consisted  in  1785. — Augustin  Roy  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  was 
on  600  livres  wages  at  Le  Pic,  1799. — Baptiste  Roy  (full  name  no  doubt  Jean 
Baptiste  Roy)  of  N.  W.  Co.  was  at  Lower  Fort  des  Prairies  on  the  Saskatch- 
ewan, 1799 ;  Baptiste  Roy,  again,  was  voyageur  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  in  the 
Fond  du  Lac  Dept.,  1804.— Fran9ois  Roy  of  N.  W.  Co.  was  at  L'Anse, 
1801-02 :  see  abstra'  t  at  end  of  this  chapter. — Fran9ois  Roy  was  voyageur, 
N.  W.  Co.,  Fort  Dauphin,  1804. — ^Jean  Roy  (full  name  no  doubt  Jean  Baptiste 
Roy)  was  with  the  trader  Umfreville,  about  1783. — Jean  Baptiste  Roy  of  the 
N.  W.  Co.  was  at  Fort  Gibraltar  on  Red  r.  when  it  was  seized  by  Colin 
Robertson  for  the  H.  B.  Co.  in  Apr.,  1816,  and  was  a  witness  at  Toronto  in  the 
Semple  case  in  Oct.,  1818. — Jean  Baptiste  Louis  Roy  was  one  of  the  defenders 
of  Cdte  sans  Dessein  on  the  Missouri  against  Sacs,  Foxes,  and  lowas,  1814  ■ 
see  Tass^,  II.  pp.  131-36. — Joseph  Roy's  family  was  one  of  seven  of  which 
Baye  Verte  consisted  in  1785 :  compare  Aimable  Roy. — ^Joseph  Roy  of  the 
N.  W.  Co.  was  foreman  in  the  Athabasca  Dept.,  1804. — Joseph  Roy,  alias 
Portelance,  was  voyageur,  N.  W.  Co.,  Le  Pic,  1804. — Vincent  Roy  was 
voyageur  or  interpreter,  or  both,  N.  W.  Co.,  Fond  du  Lac  Dept.,  1799  and 
1804. — One  Roy  was  "found  by  himself"  by  David  Thompson,  Aug.  27th, 
1798,  at  the  mouth  of  R.  aux  Rapides  (Missinipi  waters,  near  Lac  la  Rouge). 
— One  Roy,  employee  N.  W.  Co.,  was  under  Thompson  at  the  fort  near  Forks 
of  Peace  r.,  summer  and  fall  of  1803. — Pierre  Voison,  alias  Roy,  appears  in 
N.  W.  Co.  lists  as  at  Kaministiquia,  1804. 

*  Elsewhere  J.  Desford  and  J.  Duford — latter  appar.  the  correct  name.  He 
was  at  Pembina  for  the  X.  V.  Co.,  winter  of  1803-04  ;  joined  the  N.  W.  Co. 
after  the  coalition  of  1804 ;  was  shot  by  an  Indian  at  Pembina,  a  a.  m., 
Oct.  31st,  1805,  died  2  p.  m.,  Nov.  ist,  180s  :  details  beyond,  at  these  dates. 


1 88 


PEMBINA   RIVER  POST  FINISHED. 


canoe  and  five  men.  I  met  also  one  of  my  canoes  that  had 
made  a  second  trip  from  Bas  de  la  Rivi&re  to  Lac  la  Pluie 
[mouth  of  the  Winnipeg  to  Rainy  lake],  Augustin  Cadotte/ 
guide.  2ist.  Mr.  J.  Cr^bassa*  arrived  with  two  canoes 
and  ten  men  for  the  X.  Y.;  they  build  also  below  me ; 
none  of  them  dare  build  above  me  for  fear  of  the  Sioux. 
2Sth.  Sent  J.  B.  Desmarais  and  five  men  in  a  canoe  with 
15  pieces  to  build  at  Riviere  aux  Gratias.  27th.  Hard 
frost  last  night ;  melons  and  cucumbers  frozen,  joth. 
Hunting  on  horseback  with  Ven.  St.  Germain;*  buffalo 
very  numerous  at  Grand  Marais ;  I  killed  three  cows,  one 
extraordinarily  fat,  with  nearly  three  inches  of  d^pouilles. 
Oct.  1st.  My  fort  and  buildings  finished.  Sent  men  to 
make  hay  on  the  E.  side  of  Red  river,  jd.  Went  hunting 
with  St.  Germain;  killed  one   cow  and  a  calf.    6th.    A 


'  Augustin  Cadotte  is  listed  as  clerk  and  interpreter,  N.  W.  Co.,  1804,  Lower 
Red  r. ;  he  was  under  Henry  at  Salt  r.  on  Red  r.  to  oppose  the  X.  V.  Co. 
there,  winter  of  1804-05  :  see  beyond.  Augustin  Cadot  appears  as  a  witness  in 
Semple  case  at  Toronto,  Oct.,  1818,  when  he  is  said  to  have  been  38  years  in 
the  Red  River  region,  etc. 

*  John  Cr^bassa  appears  as  clerk,  N.  W.  Co.,  Lower  Red  r.,  1804,  after 
the  coalition.  A  Mr.  Cr^bassa  was  in  charge  of  Fort  au  Bas  de  la  Riviire, 
July,  1814. 

*  St.  Germain  is  a  surname  of  various  persons  in  the  fur-trade. — One  St.  Ger- 
main was  contre-maitre  (foreman)  under  Umfreville,  about  178a. — One  St. 
Germain  arrived  at  Athabasca  post  Oct.  loth,  1788. — One  St.  Germain  was  at 
Lac  la  Pluie,  1789-90. — One  St.  Germain  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  was  on  the  Assini- 
boine,  1799-1800— very  likely  the  one  of  our  text. — One  St.  Germain  was 
voyageur  on  Franklin's  first  Exped.,  i8ai. — Baptiste  or  Jean  Baptiste  St. 
Germain  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  was  at  Michipicoten  in  1799;  wages  1,300  livres. 
— Hy.  St.  Germain  had  a  house  on  Lake  Superior,  two  days  from  Grand  Portage, 
in  1798  :  so  Thompson,  and  the  St.  Germain  met  by  him  on  the  new  Kaminis- 
tiquia  route,  Aug.  ist,  1804,  may  have  been  this  one.  "  Hy."  stands  for 
Hyacinthe  or  Hippolyte. — ^Joseph  St.  Germain,  of  Isle  T&us,  near  Montr^, 
was  the  father  of  Ven.  St.  Germain  of  the  text. — ^Joseph  St.  Germain,  clerk  and 
interpreter,  N.  W.  Co.,  Lower  Rf>d  r.,  was  sent  by  Henry  to  summer  at 
Portage  la  Prairie,  May  25th,  1804. — Venant  (or  Vincent)  St.  Germain,  son  of 
Jos.  St.  Germain,  was  apprenticed  clerk  N.  W.  Co.  1804,  wa«  sent  by  A.  Henry 
to  summer  at  Portage  la  Prairie,  visited  Pembina  July,  1804,  and  was  there 
killed  by  Joseph  Rainville. — Lemaire  St.  Germain  of  N.  W.  Co.  was  at  Michi- 
picoten in  1799 !  woges  same  as  Baptiste's. 


LANGLOIS'   NEW   HOUSE  ON   HAIR  HILLS. 


189 


ul 


heavy  fall  of  snow.  I  took  my  potatoes  out  of  the  ground, 
i}i  bushels;  the  horses  had  destroyed  my  other  vegetables. 
Mr.  Chaboillez  arrived  from  Portage  la  Prairie.  loth. 
Went  to  the  Hair  hills  with  Mr.  Cameron ;  *  arrived  at  sun- 
set;  found  Langlois  had  built  about  three  leagues  higher 
up  than  our  house  was  last  winter,  exactly  at  the  foot  of 
the  steep  sandy  banks,  where  the  river  first  issues  from  the 
mountain,      rjt/t.     Returned   home.     Chamanau    arrived 

*  The  Camerons  were  numerous ;  I  have  the  following  memoranda  concern- 
ing them  :  yfineas  Cameron,  N.  W.  Co.,  signed  the  Montreal  agreement  of 
Nov.  5th,  1804,  by  his  attys. — Donald  Cameron  wintered  on  the  Assiniboine  at 
the  mouth  of  Mouse  r.,  1793-94. — Donald  Cameron  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  was  in 
the  Nepigon  Dept.  in  1799;  wages  1,300. — Dugald  Cameron  was  a  clerk  of 
the  N.  W.  Co.,  Nepigon,  1797,  with  Duncan  and  Ronald  ;  Nepigon  also  1799; 
wages  Goo ;  left  Fort  William  with  Ronald  Cameron  for  winter  quarters, 
Aug.  6th,  i8i3. — Duncan  Cameron  was  the  son  of  a  United  Empire  Loyalist 
from  Scotland,  who  settled  at  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  and  afterward  went  to 
Canada.  Duncan  entered  N.  W.  Co.  as  clerk  in  1785  ;  clerk,  Nepigon,  1797  ; 
in  chge.  of  the  Nepigon  district,  1799  ;  signed  Montreal  agreement  of  Nov.  sth, 
1804,  by  his  attys.;  was  agent  of  N.  W.  Co.  at  Forks  of  Red  r.  in  1814,  and 
was  ordered  by  Miles  McDonnell,  Oct.  sist,  1814,  to  quit  in  six  months;  took 
part  in  the  violent  disturbances  which  resulted  in  the  destruction  of  Fort 
Gibraltar  and  Fort  Douglas,  death  of  Gov.  Semple,  and  dispersion  of  the  Selkirk 
colony,  June  19th,  1816.  He  was  arrested  at  Fort  Gibraltar,  detained  for  over 
a  year  at  York  Factory,  sent  to  England,  released  without  trial,  returned  to 
Canada,  retired  from  N.  W.  Co.,  and  settled  at  Williamstown,  Glengary  Co., 
which  he  represented  in  the  Assembly  of  Upper  Canada,  1820-34 :  see  his 
j''urnal  of  1804-05  in  Masson,  II.  pp.  367-300,  1885. — One  of  his  sons  is  Sir 
Roderick  Cameron,  in  the  Australian  trade  in  New  York,  1889. — Jonathan 
Cameron  is  listed  as  a  clerk  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  for  the  Muskako  country,  1797. 
— John  Cameron  is  listed  as  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  Lake  Winnipeg  Dept.,  1799; 
wages  240. — John  Dugald  (or  Dougal)  Cameron,  supposed  to  be  brother  of 
Hon.  Duncan  Cameron,  entered  N.  W.Co.  about  1790;  served  mostly  in  the 
Nepigon  district,  where  he  was  clerk  in  1804  ;  was  still  in  service  of  H.  B.  Co. 
in  1843  ;  in  1844  settled  at  Crafton,  near  Coburg,  where  he  died,  leaving  a  son, 
Ronald  Cameron,  whose  dau.  became  Mrs.  Clouston  of  Winnipeg. — Ronald 
Cameron  was  clerk  N.  W.  Co.  for  Nepigon,  1797,  with  Duncan  Cameron  and 
another  Cameron  ;  Ronald  left  Fort  William  for  his  winter  quarters  with 
Dougal  or  Dugald  Cameron  Aug.  6th,  1812. — "  Mr."  Cameron  of  N.  W.  Co., 
under  A.  Henry,  on  Red  r.,  died  7  p.  m.,  Jan.  3d,  1804,  at  N.  W.  post  on 
Riviire  aux  Liards  :  see  the  date,  beyond. — For  Murdoch  Cameron,  trader  on 
St.  Peter's  r.,  in  Minnesota,  1805,  and  thereabouts,  see  Pike,  ed.  1895,  pp.  66, 
67,  70,  83,  86,  203,  308,  338. 


190 


BURIAL^ANOTHER  DEATH— WHITEWASH. 


f 


from  the  hills,  bringing  his  deceased  wife  on  a  travaiUe  to 
be  buried  here.  It  cost  me  a  large  keg  of  mixed  liquor,  a 
blanket,  three  pots,  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  vermilion 
to  cover  the  corpse.  A  few  Assiniboines,  Crees,  and  Son- 
nants  begin  to  come  to  our  mountain  house  to  trade. 
//M.  Mr.  Cameron  started  off;  I  went  with  him  to  Gratias 
river,  lyth.  Returned  home ;  the  plains  on  fire  in  every 
direction,  igth.  Set  a  man  at  work  to  cut  r\y  winter 
stock  of  fire  wood.  22d.  \  had  a  watch-house  built 
fronting  the  X.  Y.  door ;  placed  St.  Germain  and  Le  Due  * 
to  watch  their  motions.  Terrible  fires  all  over  tLo  plains. 
Wayquetoe's  wife  died  of  the  wounds  of  last  winter,  when 
her  husband  shot  her. 

Oct,  2jth.  Le  Sucrie  [Sucre,  Sweet,  or  Wiscoup]  and 
ten  other  Indians  arrived  from  Leech  lake.  Cournoyer  '*  of 
the  X.  Y.  started  with  four  men  for  the  Hair  hills,  to  build 
near  Langlois.  Neither  of  my  neighbors  has  a  horse ;  all 
their  transportation  is  on  men's  backs.  The  H.  B.  Co. 
started  to  build  at  the  Grand  Passage  on  Panbian  river.  I 
sent  to  the  Hair  hills  for  earth  to  whitewash  my  houses, 
there  being  none  near  Red  river.  This  white  earth  gener- 
ally lies  in  the  open  plain,  covered  with  about  a  foot  of 
black  soil.  It  is  sometimes  in  strata  a  foot  thick,  inter- 
mixed with  black  soil  and  sand,  and,  again,  is  simply 
covered  with  the  black  soil,  under  which  it  is  pure  and 
white,  like  lime,  and  answers  the  same  purpose  in  setting 
our  buildings. 

Nov.  ist.  Snow  fell  about  six  inches  in  depth.  I  went 
to  the  mountain  to  meet  the  Stone  Indians.  Old  Frog  and 
his  band  have  ten  tents.  I  settled  with  them,  and  they 
made  great  promise's  to  hunt  well.    5th.    Panbian   river 

*  Compare  note  ^,  p.  183. — One  Le  Due,  of  the  seigneury  of  Les  CMres,  in 
1 761  the  uppermost  white  settlement  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  had  been  a  fur- 
trader  on  Lake  Superior  and  at  Michilimackinac. — Fran9ois  Leduc  is  listed  as  a 
voyageur,  N.  W.  Co.,  Nepigon  Dept.,  1804. — ^Jean  Baptiste  Leduc,  an  old 
trader  in  1785,  was  then  living  with  Aimable  Roy  at  Baye  Verte. 

"  Whether  or  not  the  same  as  Jean  Baptiste  Cournoyer,  listed  as  voyageur 
N.  W.  Co.,  Lake  Winnipeg,  after  the  fusion  of  1804. 


VARIOUS   MOVEMENTS  AND  OCCUPATIONS. 


191 


frozen  over  at  the  Hair  hills.  I  returned  home.  ph.  Red 
river  frozen  over.  Desmarais  and  old  Mouge  have  aban< 
doned  Riviere  aux  Gratias  ;  both  parties  were  coming  up  in 
their  canoes,  but  on  the  5th  were  stopped  by  ice  near  Pan- 
bian  river;  they  have  not  seen  one  Indian  since  their 
arrival.  I  ordered  Desmarais  to  return  with  his  baggage  to 
Riviere  aux  Gratias  on  the  ice.  tjth.  My  men  finished  a 
stable  for  our  working  horses.  //M.  Heavy  rain,  which 
melted  all  the  snow.  Men  now  go  again  for  meat,  with  > 
small  carts,  the  wheels  of  which  are  each  of  one  solid  piect, 
sawed  off  the  ends  of  trees  whose  diameter  is  three  feet. 
Those  carriages  we  find  much  more  convenient  and  advan- 
tageous than  it  is  to  load  horses,  the  country  being  so 
smooth  and  level  that  we  can  use  them  in  every  direction. 
An  Indian  brought  me  a  large  cabbri,"  which  had  four 
inches  of  fat  on  the  rump.  22d-2^th.  Snow  continued. 
Men  making  sleighs.  The  Saulteurs  at  the  Hair  hills  have 
joined  the  Stone  Indians,  and  all  are  camped  together  in 
idleness,  singing,  dancing,  smoking,  and  trading  medicine 
for  horses.  28th.  The  men  put  up  a  flag-staff — an  oak 
stick  of  75  feet,  without  splicing.  I  gave  them  two  gallons 
of  high  wine,  four  fathoms  of  tobacco,  and  some  flour  and 
sugar,  to  make  merry,  jotfi.  Men  begin  to  use  sleighs 
and  dogs. 

Dec.  1st.  Three  men  arrived  fiom  Grandes  Fourches; 
no  Indians  there ;  all  gone  below.  Our  people  there  are 
continually  in  a  state  of  alarm,  and  keep  watch  day  and 
night.  2d.  I  sent  two  men  to  make  salt  at  Riviere  aux 
Gratias.  jd.  Two  men  arrived  from  Portage  la  Prairie 
with  letters.  4th.  Men  returned  to  Portage  la  Prairie  and 
Grandes  Fourches ;  sent  letters  northward.     Siiow  all  day. 

"  Variant  in  Henry  and  elsewhere  to  cabbre,  cabbrie,  caberie,  cabre,  cabree, 
cabri,  cabrie,  etc.  The  word  is  commonly  supposed  to  be  from  the  Spanish 
cabra  or  cabri,  goat,  same  as  Lat.  capra,  and  I  have  so  considered  it,  e.g.,'L. 
and  C,  ed.  1893,  p.  35,  q.  v.  But  it  occurs  in  early  annals  of  the  N.  W.  under 
circumstances  which  lead  me  to  believe  it  a.,  entirely  different  word,  of  Indiau 
origin.  The  inimal  designated  is  the  well-known  American  antelope,  Antilo- 
capra  americana. 


I 


193 


CHRISTMAS   AND   NEW    VEAK  AT   I'EMDINA. 


14th.  Buffalo  near  the  fort.  Three  men  arrived  from 
Grandes  Fourches.  i6th.  Sent  them  back.  Went  to  the 
hills  with  a  horse  and  cariole,  low  and  surrounded  with 
parchment  buffalo  skin ;  it  only  weighed  20  pounds,  but 
was  large  enough  for  one  person  and  his  bedding,  igth. 
Returned  home ;  buffalo  in  abundance  near  the  fort.  itst. 
Set  off  for  Riviere  aux  Gratias  with  my  hursc  and  cariole.  I 
met  Joseph  St.  Germain  and  family  at  Riviere  aux  Marais, 
en  route  from  Portage  la  Prairie  ;  they  came  to  remain  at 
Panbian  river.  Dcsmarais  takes  a  few  fish  every  day  at  the 
entrance  of  the  little  river,  with  a  small  net ;  he  caught  a 
large  sturgeon  some  time  ago,  and  often  takes  small  ones 
of  the  rough,  scaly  sort,  called  sturgeon  millers." 

Friday,  Dec.  25th. — Christmas.  Snowed  all  day.  Indians 
perpetually  going  and  coming  from  one  house  to  another, 
getting  what  they  ask  fur,  without  the  trouble  of  hunting. 
2'jth.  Lac  la  Pluic  Indians  arrived,  for  people  to  go  en 
derouine  on  the  upper  part  of  Two  Rivers.  28th.  Rod 
Lake  Indians  arrived  from  Lac  aux  Volcurs.  We  have 
our  hands  full ;  since  my  arrival  it  has  been  the  same — 
never  one  day  quiet.  31st.  I  came  home  from  Grandes 
Fourches,  Riviere   aux  Gratias,  and  Hair  hills. 

Friday,  Jan.  ist,  1802.  This  morning  the  usual  cere- 
mony of  firing,  etc.,  was  performed.  I  treated  my  people 
with  two  gallons  of  high  wine,  five  fathoms  of  tobacco,  and 
some  flour  and  sugar.  My  neighbors  came  visiting,  and 
before  sunrise  both  sexes  of  all  parties  wert  intoxicated 
and  more  troublesome  than  double  their  num,^er  of  Saul- 
tcurs ;  the  men  were  fighting  and  quarreling  all  night. 
Joseph  St.  Germain  and  others  returned  from  a  derouine 
with  200  skins,  all  good — the  best  derouine  ever  made  from 
Panbian  riv«.  3d.  People  continually  en  derouine  to 
Indians'  tents ;  .-arrivals  from  and  departures  to  the  different 


'*  So  copy,  perhaps  for  tli^e  F.  term  ttturgton  milieu.  The  ipeciea  meant  is 
not  the  shovel-nosed  sturgeo.>,  Scaphirhynchops  ptatyrhynchus,  but  simply  the 
young  of  the  common  sturgeon  of  British  American  fresh  waters,  Aciptntir 
rubicundui,  differing  much  from  tii    adult  in  appearance. 


DEROUINES  AND  TRII'S  TO  OUTPOSTS. 


»93 


outposts,  and  men  hauling  home  meat  from  the  hunters' 
tent.  Buffalo  near  the  fort ;  I  killed  two  bulls  with  one 
ball.  loth.  Hunters  running  buffalo,  with  which  the  plains 
are  covered  ;  at  the  fort  heard  them  fire,  and  saw  the  cowh 
fall ;  they  killed  33.  The  beasts  were  bellowing  all  nigkt. 
Jan.  ijth.  Before  daybreak  I  set  off  with  two  men  for  the 
Asslniboine,  by  way  of  Riviere  aux  Gratias.  Each  of  my 
men  had  a  train  of  two  dogs,  with  my  baggage  and  provi- 
sions, and  I  a  train  drawn  by  three  stout  dogs.  Snow  very 
der  p ;  my  men  were  obliged  to  beat  the  road  all  the  way 
on  ;inowshoes.  We  were  one  day  going  to  Rivi6re  aux 
Gratias ;  five  thence  to  Portage  la  Prairie ;  five  thence  to 
Riviere  la  Souris ;  two  thencr  to  Delorme's  "  house  in  the 
Hail'  hills ;  four  to  Langlois'  hous: ;  and  one  back  to 
Panbian  river.  All  this  distance  my  men  walked  hard 
upon  snowshocs. 

Feb.  ijth.  During  my  absence  my  people  went  up  to 
Riviere  aux  Pares,  and  made  10  kegs  of  salt.  My  winter 
stock  of  fresh  meat  is  complete.  Derouines  and  trips  to 
outposts  continue  as  usual.  Men  came  from  Lake  Winipic 
for  provisions.  /////.  Very  severe  wcathe>'.  One  of  our 
horses,  attempting  to  drink,  fell  into  our  water-hole  in  the 
river,  and  perished.  Buffalo  have  destroyed  all  the  grass, 
and  our  horses  are  starving.  2jJ.  Lac  la  Pluie  Indians 
arrived — a  new  band.  I  got  100  good  skins  from  them  in 
one  derouine.    X.  Y.  are  starving,  though  buffalo  sUi  round 

'*  Delorme  or  De  Lorme  was  a  common  name  ;  the  one  meant  in  the  text  is 
not  further  specified. — Pierre  De  Lorme  was  one  of  the  men  who  started  on  Sir 
Alexander  McKen^ie's  memorable  voyage  to  the  Arctic  ocean,  June  3d,  1789. — 
Franfois  Delorme  is  listed  as  of  N.  W.  Co.,  Lower  Red  r.,  1799.— One  Delorme 
of  the  N.  W.  Co.  was  with  Thompson  at  the  fort  near  the  forks  of  Peace  r., 
summer  and  fall  of  1803;  perhaps  Pierre. — Pierre  Lemay,  <AV  Delorme,  is  listed 
M  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Athabasca  Dept.,  1804.— Aimable  Delorme  is  listed  as 
voyageur  N.  \V.  Co.,  Nepigon  district.  1804.—"  Mr."  Delorme  of  N.  W.  Co. 
was  sent  by  Henry  to  summer  at  Portage  la  Prairie,  1804  ;  no  doubt  same  as 
the  Delorme  of  the  above  text. — Thompson  speaks  of  meeting  five  Slave  lake 
canoes  "  under  Delorme,"  May  arst,  1812. — One  Delorme  was  a  freeman  at 
Winnipeg,  Aug.  loth,  1808. — Francois  Enos,  dit  Delorme,  was  a  witness  in  the 
Semple  case  at  Toronto,  Oct.,  I8i3. 


f 


'■7 


?^i 


194        ONE  FEU-DE-JOIE,  ONE  BIRTH,  THREE  MURDERS. 

them.  They  eat  the  old  scabby  bulls  we  kill  for  our  diver, 
sion.  28th.  Three  of  our  horses  died.  The  cold  is  very 
severe ;  snow  deep,  and  no  grass. 

Mar.  jd.  Finding  the  poplar  stockades  were  neither 
strong  nor  durable,  I  set  all  my  men  to  work  cutting  oak 
stockades  to  make  a  new  fort.  5///.  Mr.  Cameron  arrived 
from  Grandes  Fourches.  A  large  wolf  came  into  my 
tent  three  times,  and  always  escaped  a  shot.  Next  day, 
while  hunting,  I  found  him  dead  about  a  mile  from  the 
fort ;  he  was  very  lean  and  covered  with  scabs.  7th.  We 
made  a  feu-de-joie  with  the  H.  B.  Co.,  whose  houses  at 
Grand  Passage  burned,  with  their  baggage,  and  roasted 
the  meat  of  10  cows  in  their  storehouse — fine  sport  for  the 
wolves  and  crows.  12th.  Pierre's  [Bonza's]  wife  was 
delivered  of  a  daughter — the  first  fruit  at  this  fort,  and  a 
very  black  one. 

Mar.  14th.  In  a  drinking  match  at  the  Hills  yesterday, 
Gros  Bras  [Thick  Arms]  in  a  fit  of  jealousy  stabbed 
Aupusoi  to  death  with  a  hand-dague  [dagger];  the  first 
stroke  opened  his  left  side,  the  second  his  belly,  and  the 
the  third  his  breast ;  he  never  stirred,  although  he  had  a 
knife  in  his  belt,  and  died  instantly.  Soon  after  this 
Aupusoi's  brother,  a  boy  about  10  years  of  age,  took  the 
deceased's  gun,  loaded  it  with  two  balls,  and  approached 
Gros  Bras'  tent.  Putting  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  through 
the  door  the  boy  fired  the  two  balls  into  his  breast  and 
killed  him  dead,  just  as  he  was  reproaching  his  wife  for  her 
affection  for  Aupusoi,  and  boasting  of  the  revenge  he  had 
taken.  The  little  fellow  ran  into  the  woods  and  hid. 
L.Htle  Shell  [Petite  Coquille]  found  the  old  woman,  Aupu- 
soi's mother,  in  her  tent;  he  instantly  stabbed  her. 
Ondainoiache  then  came  in,  took  the  knife,  and  gave  her 
a  second  stab.  Little  Shell,  in  his  turn  taking  the  knife, 
gave  a  third  blow.  In  this  manner  did  these  two  rascals 
continue  to  murder  the  old  woman,  as  long  as  there  was 
any  life  in  her.  The  boy  escaped  into  Langlois'  house, 
and  was  kept  hid  until  they  were  all  sober.     Next  morning 


WINTER  EXPRESS— SPRING  OPENING. 


195 


a  hole  was  dug  in  the  ground,  and  all  three  were  buried 
together.  This  affair  kept  the  Indians  from  hunting,  as 
Gros  Bras  was  nearly  related  to  the  principal  hunters. 

Mar.  15th.  Killed  four  cows;  saw  a  swan,  an  oiseau 
puant  [turkey-buzzard],  and  a  hawk— the  first  spring  birds. 
lytk.  I  sent  Jos.  and  Vent.  St.  Germain  with  two  men  to 
Red  lake  to  trade  sugar  and  recover  debts.  20th.  Tobacco 
is  passing  between  the  Saulteurs  and  Crees  and  Assini* 
boines  for  war  next  summer ;  great  preparations  are  sent  to 
Leech  lake  and  Fort  Dauphin.  They  propose  to  assemble 
here  June  30th.  30th.  A  dispute  with  the  men  about  haul- 
ing stockades  across  the  little  creek.  Augustin  Cadotte 
and  myself  convinced  them  it  was  not  impossible,  by  set- 
ing  the  example.  Continual  snowstorm,  jist.  The  north- 
ern winter  express  arrived ;  it  comes  only  from  Fort  des 
Prairies. 

April  ist.  Express  off  to  Grandes  Fourches  per  Augus- 
tin Cadotte.  2d.  Went  to  Riviere  aux  Gratias ;  got  snow- 
blind.  One  of  my  horses  died.  5M.  Set  my  men  to  work 
building  a  storehouse  100  feet  long  and  20  wide,  all  oak. 
yth.  Saw  a  few  outardes.  gth.  The  women  began  to  make 
a  little  sugar.  I  saw  a  flock  of  pelicans  {Pelecanus  erythro- 
rhynchus].  J4ih.  X.  Y.  people  began  to  build  near  my  fort 
on  the  N.  side  of  the  little  brook.  i6th.  Panbian  river 
broke  up.  Wild  fowl  now  plenty,  igth.  Red  river  began 
to  give  away,  and  the  ice  moved ;  snow  all  melted  on  the 
plains.  I  went  hunting ;  calves  are  very  numerous,  and  I 
brought  one  home  with  me  alive.  20th.  Buffalo  in  abun- 
dance on  the  E.  side  of  Red  river  and  crossing  opposite  the 
fort.  2jd.  River  clear  of  ice.  Pigeons  [Ectopistes  migra- 
torius]  passing  N.  24th.  Crow  and  Nanaundeyea  came 
down  Tongue  river  with  36  whole  beavers  in  a  skin  canoe. 
Cyr  '*  killed  two  beavers  opposite  the  fort.    2Sth.    Augustin 

'*  Joseph  Cyr,  whose  name  appears  twice  in  Masson's  lists  of  the  N.  W.  Co. , 
1804,  Lower  Red  r.  (II.  pp.  40a  and  405),  with  alternative  spellings  Sire,  Sear, 
and  Seers.  Henry  describes  Jos.  Cyr  as  a  freeman,  his  hunter  at  Pembina, 
winter  of  1803-04.   Thompson  also  names  one  Cyr.  Compare  the  term  St.  Cyr. 


! 


196 


FIRST  ARRIVAL  OF  ASSINIBOINES. 


Cadotte  arrived  in  a  small  canoe,  four  days  from  Grandes 
Fourches.  He  brought  10  beaver  skins,  some  wild  fowl, 
and  two  kegs  of  high  wine.  26th.  Went  down  to  meet  Des* 
marais  at  Reed  river ;  got  30  beaver  skins  from  Pickoutiss, 
[one  of  the  Red  Lake  O  jib  ways].  27th.  Storehouse  fin- 
ished. 28th.  Desmarais'  canoe  arrived  from  Riviere  aux 
Gratias.  Thomas  Mitchel,  H.  B.  Co.,  embarked  en  baggage 
for  the  Forks.  M^lancon'*  deserted  from  us.  Men  began 
to  erect  stockades,  joth.  Fire,  on  the  plains  in  every 
direction. 

Saturday,  May  ist.  I  set  lire  to  the  E..  side  of  the  river. 
We  sent  our  horses  to  graze  in  the  plains  on  the  W.  side. 
2d.  Langlois  and  others  came  en  baggage  down  Panbian 
river  in  three  skin  canoes ;  one  had  upset  and  some  prop- 
erty been  lost — sugar,  beat  meat,"  axes,  etc.  The  current 
had  drawn  her  with  such  violence  against  a  tree  as  to  turn 
her  over.  The  river  Indians  are  camping  and  all  drinking 
hard — men,  women,  and  children,  jd.  Arrived  and  camped 
four  Assiniboines,  with  the  Saulteurs — the  first  that  have 
come  here  to  trade  and  drink.  They  are  very  suspicious  of 
the  Saulteurs,  and  always  on  their  guard  with  guns,  bows, 
and  arrows  in  their  hands.  The  young  Saulteurs  would 
fain  insult  them  during  their  drinking  matches,  but  we 
prevented  it.  4ih.  Indians  all  arrived.  I  gave  them  their 
spring  presents ;  to  some,  clothing,  to  others  large  kegs  of 
mixed  liquor.  The  chiefs  were :  Little  Shell ;  Buffalo ; 
Nanaundeyea ;  Chamanou ;  Terre  Grasse ;  Maymiutch  ; 
Tabashaw ;  and  an  Assiniboine.  Total,  eight  chiefs  "  fur- 
nished with  clothing  and  10  kegs  of  liquor.  This  was 
exclusive  of  about  four  kegs  of  mixed  liquor  I  gave  away 
during  the  boison  [drinking  bout]. 


'*  This  name  appears  in  Masson's  list  without  further  specification,  as  that  of 
a  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Lower  Red  r.,  1804. 

'*  Sic,  meaning  beaten  meat — htti  or  venison,  dried  and  pounded  into  shreds. 

"  Of  the  eight,  six  will  be  recognized  in  the  list  on  p.  53 — Nos.  9,  25,  36, 
38,  40,  and  2.  "  Chamanou  "  does  not  figure  there,  but  has  appeared  before  in 
Henry's  text.     The  Assiniboine  chief  is  nameless. 


DOMESTIC  TROUBLE— SAULTEURS  KILLED. 


197 


I 


May  5th.  Heavy  rain  ;  some  snow.  Seine,  but  take  noth. 
ing.  jth.  Finished  the  fort.  I  gave  the  men  a  gallon  of 
high  wine  and  some  sugar.  Desfond  [Duford]  quarreled 
and  parted  from  his  wife;  he  wished  to  detain  his  son, 
a  boy  about  nine  years  of  age ;  but  the  little  fellow  pre- 
ferred to  go  with  his  mother,  and  on  leaving  the  house  fired 
three  arrows  at  his  father,  but  missed  him;  for,  although 
the  old  man  was  intoxicated,  he  had  sense  enough  to  avoid 
the  arrows,  and  allowed  the  rhild  to  walk  off  with  his 
mother,  gth.  Set  a  sturgeon  net,  the  firut  ever  put  in  this 
river,  the  usual  manner  of  taking  sturgeon  being  with  the 
seine.  It  required  90  fathoms  of  net  to  cross  the  river,  as 
the  water  is  high,  and  the  strong  current  forms  a  great 
bend ;  it  was  with  much  difficulty  we  could  set  it.  tith. 
Nine  inches  of  snow.  Water  falling ;  it  had  risen  almost  as 
high  as  last  year.  Caught  one  sturgeon.  12th.  An  Indian 
and  his  family  arrived  in  a  small  canoe  from  Red  lake,  bring- 
ing news  that  the  Sioux  had  killed  seven  Saulteurs  in  that 
quarter,  all  nearly  related  to  those  who  are  camped  here 
drunk.  The  man.  had  scarcely  landed  before  they  were  in 
an  uproar,  bawling,  howling,  and  lamenting  the  death  of 
their  relations,  the  end  of  which  was  to  beg  rum  to  wash  the 
sorrow  from  their  hearts.  15th.  Indians  sober.  I  began  to 
sow  garden  seeds.  Joseph  Cyr  d^jserted  under  pretense  of 
going  to  Portage  la  Prairie.  Men  bringing  home  calves 
daily.  i8th.  We  take  p'  nty  of  sturgeon.  Indians  tor. 
menting  me  for  liquor  gratis.  20th.  Indians  performing 
their  grand  medicine,  as  usual  in  the  spring.  21st.  A  small 
canoe  arrived  from  Portage  la  Prairie,  bringing  nearly  a 
bushel  of  potato;:s  for  seed,  some  ammunition,  tobacco, 
etc.  Made  my  packs,  began  the  pemmican,  and  planted  my 
potatoes.  Mr.  Cameron  arrived  from  Grandes  Fourches. 
Mosquitoes  and  woodlice  in  abundance.  24.th.  Cabbage 
appeared  above  ground.  I  purchased  horses  from  the  In- 
dians, sold  them  to  tUe  ta.<ixi  at  2oq^j_V^^y."  each,  and 

'*  So  copy — I  suppose  it  means  Grand  Portage  currency,  reckoned  in  French 
livres,  as  distinguished  from  Halifax  currency,  reckoned  in  English  ;^.  s.  d. 


i  -1 


irl 


198 


ARRIVAL  OF  THE  LITTLE  DEVIL. 


obliged  them  to  do  the  work  of  the  fort,  hauling  fuel,  lunri- 
bcr  for  building,  etc.  Augustin  Cadotte  moved  to  Teko- 
gonaibick.  The  Indians  have  daily  alarms  and  would  pct- 
suade  me  of  danger ;  but  I  am  no  longer  a  stranger,  and  not 
easily  imposed  upon. 

RETURNS  OF  LOWER  RED  RIVER   DEPARTMENT,    l80I-03. 


Beavers,  weighing  1,805  Ihs 

Black  bears 

Brown  bears 

Wolves 

Foxes  

Raccoons 

Fishers 

Otters 

Martens 

Minks 

Wolverenes 

Loup-cerviers 

Dressed  moose  and  biches 

Shaved  and  parchment  biches 

Muskrats 

Buffalo  robes 

Packs  of  90  lbs.  each 

Bags  of  pemmican,  of  90  lbs.  each 

Kegs  of  beef 

Kegs  of  grease 

Kegs  of  sugar 


410 
22 
2 
30 
20 
29 

23 
29 


aoo 

5 
160 

39 
14 
57 
5 
13 

3 
8 

20 
320 

5 
I 


24 


SO 


A    E 


'•%»• 


130 

8 

2 

3 
38 

2 

5 
5 

I 
8 

12 
7 


3}i 


629 

18 

4 

58 

16 

39 
67 

24 

6 

26 

51 

38 
8 

2 


asM 


33 
16 


1,369 

64 
II 

256 
77 
85 

185 
60 

24 

40 

I 

67 

ao 

370 

13 
10 


62 


90 

16 

3 

3 


Gain,  Halifax  currency,  ;^i,i7i  15s.  7d. 

May  zyth.  Little  Devil,  an  Assiniboine  chief,  with  five 
others,  arrived  from  Buffalo  Head  on  horseback,  bringing 
a  pack  of  beaver  skins  and  some  provisions.  H.  B.  Co. 
men  preparing  their  canoes  and  boat.  The  Indians,  having 
finished  the  grand  medicine,  are  making  the  wabbano.  This 
ceremony  is  performed  at  all  seasons,  but  more  particularly 


WABANO — READINESS  TO  DEPART. 


199 


in  the  fall  and  spring,  when  they  assemble  in  large  parties. 
It  is  not  so  solemn  as  the  grand  medicine,  nor  does  it 
require  such  ceremonious  initiation.  People  of  all  ages 
and  both  sexes  may  partake  in  the  outward  show  of  singing 
and  dancing,  but  not  all  of  them  are  acquainted  with  such 
mysteries  as  the  different  medicines,  songs,  and  conjuration 
tricks. 

ABSTRACT  OP  NORTHWEST  RETURNS  OF  l802  FOR  OUTFIT  OF  180I. 


Lac  la  Biche  

Upper  English  river 

Rat  river 

Upper  Fort  des  Prairies. . 
Lower  Fort  des  Prairies . . 

Swan  river 

Lake    Winipic 

Upper  Red  river 

Lower  Red  river 

Lac  la  Pluie 

Nepigon 

Pic  and  L.  river 

Fonddu  Lac 

M.  &  M.  Cadottes 

Michepicotton 

Batchewcinan  bay 

Grand  Portage 

Red  lake,  Fond  du  Lac  . . 
Fran9ois  Roy,  L'Anse.. . . 

{oseph  R^aume,  Folleavoine 
^ac  des  Mille  Lacs 


ATHABASCA.' 


708 
4,581 

1.333 
643 
846 

a.045 
156 

1,871 
3,3»4 
1,243 

1,334 
737 
358 
414 
179 

334 
411 
466 


16 
M 

6 

»9 
II 

17 

16 

4 
10 

17 

a 

10 

I 

13 

3 

4 

3 

17 


20,300 


d. 
7 
loX 

10 
9 
7 
5 

6 

6 

8 

10 

2^ 

2 

9>i 

3 

II 


II 


SLAVS  LAKB.* 


o^ 


31 


1,902 


10 


13 


19 


1,945 


\\i 


MACKmZIB  KIVBR.* 


i>4 


84 
148 

38 
193 

22 
119 
138 
143 
103 

56 

»47 

34 

lOI 

71 
21 
II 

18 

IS 
II 
28 
*5 


I5i6t 


B. 

C.  &D. 

E. 

G.  &H. 

F.  &L 

K. 

L. 

N. 

O. 

P. 

Q. 

R. 

S. 

T. 

U. 

V. 

w. 

R.  A. 


*  Not  given. 


t  Inland  packs  of  golbi. 


May  28th.  Everything  is  ready  for  embarkation — packs 
and  pemmican  made  canoes  repaired,  and  people  settled  for 
the  summer.  We  pass  our  time  chasing  buffalo,  for  which 
we  have  many  good  horses,  and  take  plenty  of  sturgeon. 

An  Indian  made  medicine  to  ask  his  Manitou  whether  a 
certain  sick  person  would  recover.  He  started  his  juggling 
after  dark,  and  sang  for  a  long  time,  keeping  chorus  with  a 


I  I 


300 


ABORIGINAL  THERAPEUTICS. 


nttle.  At  tiir.es  he  pretended  to  converse  with  a  spirit, 
iT'.uttering  ven '  low ;  then  he  interpreted  to  the  bystanders 
what  his  Man\tou  had  told  him  concerning  the  case — the 
cause  and  natiae  of  the  sickness,  and  then  some  crime  com- 
mitted which  prevented  the  cure.  Before  his  conversation 
with  the  spirit  his  '  <?g)ing  machine  always  appeared  in 
motion,  bending  to  and  fro  as  if  shaken  by  the  wind,  while 
he  continued  to  sing  with  his  utmost  force,  and  appeared 
greatly  agitated ;  when  suddenly  he  ceased  and  appeared 
deeply  engaged  in  discourse.     This  ceremony  continued 


Dr. 
N.  w. 
O 


LOWBR   RED  RIVER  OUTFIT 


To  Amt.  of  invoice  as  per  Grand  Portage  books, 

"  Equipment  for  Proprietor,             

"        Do.        8  Clerks  and  Interpreters  @  400J., 
**        Do.        3  Guides  and  Interpreters  @  300;.,     . 
"        Do.        33    Canoemen   (10    summer    men  excluded) 
@78j 

£ 

a.457 

30 

160 

30 

138 

s. 

9 
0 
0 
0 

14 

J. 

3 
0 
0 
0 

0 

Interest  thereon  @  4.66  ^  ct.  to  Nov.  30tb,  iSoi,     . 

To  Inventory  of  i8oi  inland, 

3,796 
139 
386 

3 

9 

17 

2 
0 
0 

• 

Interest  thereon  for  I3  months  @  6  ^  ct.  to   Nov.  30th, 

i8o3, 

Freight  to  Montreal  of  93  packs  of  100  lbs.,  @  4IJ.  %(i.,     . 

3,313 

193 
193 

9 

14 
15 

3 

0 
0 

Wages  of  8  Clerks  and  Interpreters,                             5,720 

3  Guides  «•            "              ...        1,550 

"       43  Men  (including  10  summer  men),     .       16,750 

Extra  wages  for  ad  trip  to  Lac  la  Pluie,     .                  1,510 

3.598 
3,110 

18 
16 

3 

N.  W.  Co.  livres    35,530  or 

8 

Balance  on  this  outfit 

5.709 
156 

14 
16 

10 
6 

Halifax  Cy., 

8  Canoes  from  Grand  Portage,  4  to  Portage  la  Prairie,  4  to 

Lower  Red  river, 
L<.>ss  on  them,  ;f  1,014  ^V-  ^'^• 
Gain  on  them,     1,171  lis.  7</. 

£Sfi66 

II 

« 

4 

FROM   PEMBINA  TO  WINNIPEG. 


201 


until  after  midnight,  when  he  at  last  declared  he  was  in 
doubt  whether  the  sick  person  would  recover  or  not. 

May  zgth.    Took  inventories  of  the  property  to  be  left. 

Sunday,  May  joth.  At  daybreak'  all  hands  were  up,  bag- 
gage was  given  out,  and  at  sunrise  two  large  canoes,  three 
small  ones,  and  a  bateau,  all  very  deeply  loaded,  were 
drifting  down  the  river. 

May  J  1st.  At  ten  o'clock  I  embarked  in  my  own  canoe 
with  eight  men ;  overtook  the  brigade,  and  arrived  at  the 
Forks  at  4  p.  m.,  June  ist. 


FOR   1 801   CONTRA. 


Cr. 


t 


J. 

2 
O 

o 

o 


3 

o 

o 


o 
o 


10 
6 


£, 

s. 

d. 

By  Inventory  of  1802, 

•                  .                 • 

292 

4 

7 

"  Advances  to  men  inland, 

■                 •                 • 

808 

II 

8 

"  102  Bags  of  Pemmican,  at  Bas  de  la  Riviire, 

weight, 
"  3  Kegs  of  Grease,  weight, 

8.772  lbs.,  @  \s. 

438 

12 

0 

.    210  lbs.,  @  \s. 

10 

10 

0 

"  7  Kegs  of  Beef,  weight,    . 

.   490  lbs..  @  \s. 

34 

10 

0 

"  Contents  of  103  Packs  : 

3,185  Beavers,  weight  4,334  lbs.,@  12s.  bd. 

^Ib 

.    ;f2.708  15    0 

265  Wolves,  @  V-  6</.      . 

each,           09    7    6 

277  Deer  and  Parchments,  @  4/.  bd. 

62    6    6 

113  Black  Bears,  @  65 J.' . 

364    0    0 

35  Brown    "       @  ioo.r. 

175    0    0 

131  Loupcerviers,  @  9.?. 

58  19    0 

90  Raccoons,  @  2/. 

900 

loi  Foxes,  @  8j.  bd. 

42  18    6 

61  Minks,  @  4r.      . 

"               12    4    0 

336  Fishers.  @  6j.    . 

"             100  16    0 

203  Otters,  sof.  @  . 

303    0    0 

482  Martens,  @  ^.  bd.     . 

"             108    9    0 

10  Buffalo  robes,  @  i8j. 

"                goo 

40  Muskrats,  @  i^.  \d. 

•     "                234 

50  Dressed  skins,  @  ^s.  bd.     . 

.     "               18  15    0 

13  Carcajoux.  ($  ^i. 

350 

3,977  18  10 

By  DiKOunt  for  six  months  @  6^  ct., 

115    0    0 

Sterling,  3,862  18  10 

Halifax  Cy., 

4,292 

3 

I 

;fS.866 

II 

4 

M 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   PEMBINA   RIVER  POST,  CONTINUED:    1802-O3. 

SEPT.  4th,  1802.  We  arrived  at  the  Forks  of  the  Assini- 
boine.  Delivered  to  Mr.  [Charles  Jean  BaptisteJ 
Chaboillez  the  Upper  Red  River,  or  rather  the  Assiniboine 
River,  brigade  in  charge,  he  having  remained  inland  during 
the  summer.    Mr.  J.  McDonell  [John  McDonnell ']  goes  to 

■  See  his  lively,  rough-and-ready  journal  of  1793-97,  already  cited  at  date  of 
Aug.  19th,  1800,  note  **,  p.  47.  This  McDonell  or  McDonnell  is  to  be  distin- 
guished from  various  persons  of  the  identical  surname,  and  also  from  sundry 
McDonalds  of  a  different  family — particularly  John  McDonald  of  Garth.  One 
liability  of  mistake  in  the  identity  of  persons  named  John  is,  that  in  annals  of 
the  period  *'  John  "  was  often  abbreviated  *'  Jo,,"  as  if  "  Joe  "  or  Joseph  ;  but 
the  regular  abbreviation  of  the  latter  was  "  Jos."  John  McDonnell  was  brother 
of  Gov.  Miles  McDonnell,  and  uncle  of  W.  J.  McDonnell,  some  time  vice- 
consul  at  Toronto ;  Miles  McDonnell  was  Lord  Selkirk's  agent  and  first  gov- 
ernor of  that  colony,  nicknamed  chef  des  jardinitrs  ( "head  gardener  ").  John 
entered  the  N.  W.  Co.  as  clerk  in  1793  or  earlier,  and  arrived  at  Grant's  Fort 
Esp^rance  on  Qu'Appelle  r.,  Oct.  iith,  1793.  He  became  a  partner  about 
1796,  and  spent  some  years  in  the  Upper  Red  River  Dept.  In  1797-98  he 
had  the  N.  W.  house  on  the  Assiniboine,  i|^  m.  above  the  mouth  of  Mouse  r. 
— a  notable  place,  as  this  was  the  usual  point  of  departure  for  the  Mandans 
on  the  Missouri.  Thompson  went  from  and  returned  to  it  in  1797-98  ;  he  gives 
its  position  as  lat.  49°  41'  06''  N.,  long.  99^  59'  15"  \V.  Our  author  is  going 
to  make  the  same  trip  in  1806.  McDonnell  went  in  to  Fort  William  in  1798, 
arriving  June  29th.  He  goes  to  the  Athabasca  Dept.  in  1803,  as  Henry  tells 
us.  He  signed  the  Montreal  agreement  of  Nov.  5th,  1804,  by  his  attys.  He 
arrived  at  Fort  William  at  a  p.  m.  Sunday,  Aug.  2d,  1812.  on  the  Invincible. 
He  sold  out  in  1815,  settled  at  Point  Fortune,  died  there,  and  was  buried  in 
the  Catholic  cemetery  of  Rigaud,  leaving  several  children. — ^neas  McDonell 
or  McDonald,  a  clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  Nepigon  District,  was  shot  by  one  Mowat, 
clerk  H.  B.  Co.,  1810. — Alexander  McDon'.)eU  was  assistant  to  John  McDon- 
ald of  Garth  on  the  Assiniboine  or  Qu'Appelle  r.,  winter  of  1807-08 ;  he 
succeeded  Miles  McDonnell,  and  was  nicknamed  by  the  half-breeds  "grass- 
hopper governor  "  {gouvemeur  sauterelle);  he  was  at  one  time  in  charge  of  Fort 
Garry. — Allen  McDonnell  or  Macdonell  was  at  the  Mandans  in  the  summer  of 
1806,  wheit  Charles  Chaboillez, /M»>(;r,  Charles  McKenzie,  Mr.  "Caldwell,  and 


ARRANGEMENT  OF   MEN— RETURN  TO   PEMBINA.     203 

Athabasca.  I  sent  of!  my  canoes  for  Panbian  river,  and 
proceeded  on  horseback  to  Portage  la  Prairie,  taking  three 
canoes  and  a  boat  for  that  quarter.  We  found  there  a  great 
many  Indians  camped,  expecting  our  arrival.  I  remained 
three  days  awaitinof  the  canoes  and  making  out  the  appoint- 
ments, as  follows : 

Mr.  E.  Harrison,*  to  winter  here.  Mr.  L.  Dorion,  at  Bear's 
Head  river.  Mr.  J.  McDonell  [junior],  at  the  Manitoubanee 
[Lake  Manitoba].  Joseph  St.  Germain,  at  Fort  Dauphin 
Mountain,  Prairie  en  Longue  [Long  Prairie]. 

Sept.  ijth.  Left  Portage  la  Prairie  on  horseback,  came 
down  to  the  Grand  Passage  and  crossed  the  Assiniboine. 
iSth.  Arrived  at  Panbian  river,  and  found  everything  in 
order ;  .60  Saulteurs  camped  at  my  fort.  The  canoes  had 
arrived  some  time  before  I  came,  and  the  Indians  were 
anxiously  awaiting  me,  to  taste  the  "  new  milk,"  as  they 
generally  call  rum  when  speaking  in  a  ceremonious  style. 
Some  Assiniboines  and  Crees  had  been  here  with  skins  and 
a  quantity  of  provisions.  They  appeared  well  reconciled 
to  the  Saulteurs,  and  the  latter  equally  so  to  them.  During 
the  summer  three  of  my  Indians  died  and  were  buried  here, 
Chizchickquoi,  Ocanashkit,  Le  Taonsone,  and  the  Cizeau.* 

our  author,  were  also  there  ;  we  shall  hear  more  of  him  later  on. — J.  Macdonell, 
junior,  appears  as  of  N.  W.  Co.,  Upper  Red  r.,  1799,  at  wages  340  livres  ;  see 
next  paragraph  above,  and  see  beyond,  Jan.  4th,  1803,  p.  308. 

*  Edward  Harrison,  clerk  N.  W.  Co.  "  Mr."  Harrison  was  met  by  David 
Thompson  on  the  Height  of  Land  near  Grand  Portage  July  30th,  1797.  "  Mr." 
Harrison  arrived  with  five  canoes  on  account  of  Mr.  Ogilvie  at  Grand  Portage 
June  34th,  1798,  and  was  on  Rainy  1.  July  33d,  1798.  Edward  Harrison  was 
clerking  in  the  Fort  Dauphin  Dept.  in  1799,  and  at  Portage  la  Prairie  in  the 
summer  of  1804. 

"  Old  Durion "  is  a  familiar  figure  in  Lewis  and  Clark  :  see  ed.  of  1893, 
pp.  31,  70,  80,  94,  106,  1 174,  I307,  ir!o8,  and  for  his  son  Pierre,  pp.  31,  91, 
94,  106,  I30I.  Durion  and  Dorion  are  the  same  name,  and  Henry's  Louis 
Dorion  might  easily  be  "Old  Durion";  but  I  have  no  such  identification. 
Joseph  St.  Germain  is  already  accounted  for :  see  note  ^,  p.  t88. 

'  See  the  list,  p.  53,  for  two  of  these  four.  No.  6  and  No.  32.  "  Thr 
Cizeau  "  appears  as  if  it  were  meant  for  Ciseau,  French  for  chisel,  but  may  be 
same  as  Sesai,  No.  7  of  the  list.  Chizchickquoi  has  not  been  named  before 
that  I  can  discover.    (Copy  gives  four  names,  but  only  three  deaths.) 


'.arim* 


304 


ACCIDENTAL  MATRICIDE— NEW  OUTPOSTS. 


M. 


Their  complaint  is  cough,  spitting,  and  pains  in  the  breast ; 
they  linger  for  a  long  time,  get  very  lean,  and  seldom  re- 
cover. This  [pulmonary  consumption]  is  the  most  common 
and  fatal  disease  among  them. 

Sept.  i6th.  I  gave  them  their  usual  autumnal  present ; 
all  were  soon  intoxicated  and  more  troublesome  than  be- 
fore, as  the  X.  Y.  were  well  established  here. 

Sept.  17th.  A  boy  about  10  years  of  age  was  putting  his 
gun  in  order  to  shoot  ducks ;  his  old  mother  was  sitting 
opposite  in  t^  c  tent,  and  observed  he  was  giving  himself 
trouble  to  no  purpose,  as  he  could  not  kill  a  duck.  This 
was  jocular,  as  she  knew  he  was  an  excellent  little  hunter 
for  his  age,  and  he  took  it  as  such.  Having  loaded  and 
primed  his  gun,  he  aimed  it  at  the  old  woman's,  head, 
saying,  "  If  I  cannot  kill  a  duck  I  can  kill  you,  if  I  want 
to."  The  gun  went  off  and  blew  her  brains  out.  The  lad's 
gun  fell  from  his  hands;  when  he  recollected  himself  he 
declared  he  had  no  intention  of  shooting  his  mother,  and 
could  not  account  for  the  discharge.  However,  the  old 
woman  was  dead ;  her  brains  and  hair  were  sticking  to  the 
tent-pole  near  which  she  had  been  sitting.  The  lad  ap- 
peared much  afflicted,  as  he  was  very  fond  of  her. 

I  made  up  the  assortuient  of  goods  for  the  outposts, 
equipped  the  summer  men,  clerks,  etc. 

Sept.  20th.  I  sent  Mr.  Cameron,  with  his  boat  and  eight 
men,  to  build  at  Turtle  river;*  Augustin  Cadotte,  with 
Antoine  Payet  [or  Paget*]  and  five  men,  to  bjild  at 
Pinancewaywining  a  post  for  the  Crees,  Sonnants,  and 
Stone  Indians;  Michel  Langlois,  with  a  writer  \commis, 
clerk],  goes  to  Red  lake  with  a  band  of  Saulteurs.  The 
two  latter  posts  are  overland,  and  require  horses  to  trans- 


*  Branch  of  Red  r.,  Grand  Forks  Co.,  N.  Dak.:  see  note  »«,  p.  138. 

'  Surname  thus  variant  in  the  annals  of  the  fur-tnde.  One  Payet,  N.  W. 
Co.,  was  interpreter  under  Harmon,  Fort  Bird  Mountain,  on  the  Assiriboine, 
winter  of  1 801-03. — Antoine  Payet  or  Paget  ia  with  Henry  as  said,  1802-03,  ^nd 
appears  as  clerk  and  interpreter  N.  W.  Co.,  English  r.  1804. — Joseph  Paget 
appears  as  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Upper  Red  r.,  1804. 


iH 


NEW   CAMS— BI.OODSHED— LE   BCKUF. 


205 


port  the  property.  We  have  enough  for  aM  purposes,  and 
a  new  sort  of  cart  which  '  cilitates  transportation,  hauling 
home  meat,  etc.  They  ure  about  Tour  feet  iJgh  and 
perfectly  straight ;  the  spokes  are  perpe:  dicular,  without 
the  least  bending  outward  ["diSiiing"],  and  )nly  four  to 
each  whc*!.  These  carts  carry  about  five  pieces,  and  are 
drawn  by  one  horse. 

Sept.  25th.  Indians  decamping  to  follow  th<;ir  traders  to 
the  outposts,  and  those  who  intend  to  remain  about  this 
place  are  taking  debts  and  preparing  to  decamp.  My  man 
out  hunting ;  buffalo  in  abundance.  28th.  One  of  my 
young  men,  S.  Purie  {sic — qu :  Jean  Baptistc  St.  Pierre?] 
shot  two  cows  dead,  with  one  ball. 

Oct.  5th.  Wayquatchewine,*  in  a  drinking  match,  stabbed 
another  Indian  on  the  shoulder  blade,  but  the  knife  was 
arrested  by  the  bone,  and  the  wound  was  not  mortal.  At 
the  same  time  he  stabbed  a  woman  in  the  oreast ;  it  appears 
to  be  an  ugly  wound,  but  not  very  deep,  as  the  knife  went 
in  slanting  and  made  a  great  gash.  15th.  Indians  going 
of!  and  returning  to  plague  us  for  liquor.  The  X.  Y.  arrived 
with  two  canoes.  Duford  [note  *,  p.  187]  followed  Langlois 
to  Red  Lake  river ;  high  water  over  the  plains  prevented 
their  reaching  Red  lake.     They  built  at  Terre  Blanche.* 

Nov.  2d.  Sent  trains  for  meat.  Buffalo  in  abundance. 
I  hired  Le  Boeuf  as  hunter  [note  ",  p.  182].  This  man  is 
supposed  to  be  the  best  among  the  Saulteurs  for  buffalo 
and  other  strong,  wild  animals ;  his  name  is  derived  from 
his  superior  capacities  in  hunting  the  bufTalo.  He  has 
often,  even  in  seasons  when  there  is  no  snow,  approached 
a  herd,  and  then,  when  on  his  firing  they  ran  off,  chased 
them  on  foot  for  a  long  distance,  loading  and  firing  rapidly, 

*  Name  nut  in  the  list,  p.  53  :  compare  the  first  element  of  the  word  with  Way- 
quetoe,  No.  a^,  and  the  balance  with  Saskatchewan,  name  of  the  river. 

"*  This  French  phrase  is  the  origin  of  modern  White  Earth  as  name  of  the 
large  Indian  reservation  in  Minnesota,  and  of  a  lake  and  a  river  in  that  reserva- 
tion, tilbutary  lo  Wild  Rice  r.  We  are  left  in  doubt  of  the  exact  location  of 
Langlois'  outpost,  but  it  was  probably  within  the  limits  of  the  present  reserva- 
tion, and  perhaps  on  Wild  Rice  or  White  Earth  r. 


2o6 


NOT  A  SURPRISING  PKOPOSAI.. 


* . 


and  keeping  in  the  thick  of  the  herd  until  he  killed  as 
many  as  he  wished.  He  came  in  to-day  with  a  loup^er- 
vier  *  that  he  had  caught  in  the  plains  in  a  fair  chase  and 
killed  with  his  small  ax ;  he  certainly  is  an  extraordinary 
runner.  He  is  a  tall  man,  spare  and  lean,  of  a  mild  disposi- 
tion,  but  wicked  when  provoked  to  anger. 

Nov.  4th.  We  crossed  Red  river  on  the  ice,  as  this  was 
an  extraordinarily  early  winter;  however,  it  did  not  last 
long.  On  the  6th  the  river  was  again  clear  of  ice,  and  fine 
mild  weather  ensued  until  the  17th,  when  it  began  to  snow, 
and  we  once  more  ran  sleighs. 

Nov.  24th.  A  day  so  dark  that  I  was  obliged  to  use  a 
candle  to  write  at  midday.  We  had  a  heavy  fall  of  snow 
and  hail,  with  tremendous  claps  of  thunder  and  lightning, 
which  continued  most  of  the  day,  and  a  strong  N.  E.  wind. 
About  18  inches  of  snow  fell  in  12  hours.  The  river 
froze  again. 

Nov.  26th.  One  of  my  men,  who  was  much  in  debt, 
offered  me  his  services  as  long  as  he  could  perform  any 
duty,  on  condition  I  would  clothe  him  and  allow  him  to 
take  a  woman  he  had  fallen  in  love  with ;  for  himself  he 
asked  nothing  but  dressed  leather  to  make  a  shirt,  capot, 
and  trousers,  all  the  year  round,  and  a  little  tobacco.  He  is 
an  able-bodied  young  man.  This  proposal  did  not  surprise 
me,  having  seen  several  people  as  foolish  as  he  is,  who 
would  not  hesitate  to  sign  an  agreement  of  perpetual  bond- 
age on  condition  of  being  permitted  to  have  a  woman  who 
struck  their  fancy. 

Nov.  2yth.  We  cannot  stir  out  doors  without  snowshoes. 
fiufTalo  are  very  numerous;  I  shot  three  cows.  The  cold 
was  so  severe  that  I  froze  all  one  side  of  my  face,  which  was 
soon  an  entire  scab  and  very  painful. 

Dec.  25th.  Buffalo  passing  in  droves  within  100  yards  of 
the  fort.     My  winter  stock  complete. 

*  Canada  lynx,  Lynx  canadensis,  of  northerly  parts  of  America,  differing  in 
several  respects  from  the  common  bay  lynx  or  wild  cat,  L.  rufus  :  see  Lewis, 
and  Clark,  ed.  1893,  pp.  3ii,  734. 


ROUND  TRIP  TO  VARIOUS  POSTS. 


•Of 


January  ist,  tSoj.  Plagued  with  the  ceremonies  of  the 
day — men  and  women  drinking  and  fighting,  pell  mell. 

Jan.  4th.  Leaving  the  fort  in  charge  of  V.  St.  Germain 
and  P.  [Pierre  Bonza  ?],  I  took  two  men  and  set  out  on  a 
journey.*    I  had  a  light  cariole  drawn  by    four    strong 

*  Memoranda  of  this  jounwy :  Leaving  hia  pott  at  tha  mouth  of  Pembina  r. 
Henry  pastcftl  tlirough  the  Pembina  mli.  or  Hair  hills,  and  continued  on  to  the 
mouth  of  MouM  r.  Thin  confluence  with  the  Aiainiboine  it  in  the  middle  of 
Tp.  8,  R.  Kvi,  W.  of  the  princ.  merid.;  the  S.  W.  branch  of  the  C.  P.  Ry. 
paatet  dote  by  ;  station  Tresbank,  and  places  called  Two  Rivers  and  Awene,  ara 
in  the  ume  township.  The  N.  W.  Co.  house  was  on  the  N.  bank  of  the  As* 
siniboine,  a  mile  or  mire  above  the  Junction  of  Mouse  r.;  Thompson  calls  it 
Stone  Indian  River  house  and  McDonnell's  house,  1797-98.  It  also  became 
known  as  Fort  Assiniboine  and  Assiniboine  house,  the  X.  V.  house  close  by 
being  called  Fort  Souris.  The  locality  seems  to  have  been  a  favorite  one  ;  in 
the  winter  of  1794-95,  no  fewer  than  five  mutually  opposing  trading-houses  were 
there.  C.  J.  B.  Chaboillez  was  still  there  in  the  winter  of  1804-os,  when  he 
corresponded  with  Lewis  and  Clark  at  the  Mandans  :  see  L.  and  C,  ed.  1893,  p. 
187.  Dauphin,  as  a  name  of  various  things  in  this  ivgion,  dates  back  to  Veren< 
drye,  1741.  Fort  Dauphin  mt.,  or  the  Dauphin  mts.,  is  or  are  the  general  and 
extensive  elevation  now  called  Rid'  (;  mt.,  W.  of  Lake  Manitoba.  Dau* 
phin  I.,  still  so  called,  lies  N.  and  I  .  of  these  mountains,  \«.  of  the  upper  divi< 
sion  of  Lake  Manitoba,  and  directly  S.  of  >^ke  Winnipegoosis,  into  which 
latter  it  discharges  by  Mouy  r.,  and  it  is  near  enough  to  afford  a  portage  of  the 
same  name.  Its  principal  feeders  are  the  rivers  called  Drifting,  Valley,  Wilson, 
and  Vermilion,  all  from  the  W.,  with  Ocher  and  Turtle  from  the  S.  Its  fig- 
ure is  quite  regular,  with  a  long  axis  of  about  30  m.,  nearly  N.  and  S.,  and  a 
breadth  of  from  X  to  ^  as  much,  E.  and  W.  The  White  r.  of  the  above  text 
isi  the  one  on  which  we  found  Henry  at  the  beginning,  in  1799  :  see  note  *  for 
description  of  this  principal  tributary  of  Lake  Manitoba.  This  lake  is  a  very 
large  body  of  water  in  Manitoba,  W.  of  Lake  Winnipeg  and  S.  E.  of  Lake 
Winnipegoosis  ;  the  total  length  is  ovv.-  100  m.,  about  N.  N.  W.  and  S.  S.  W.; 
the  width  is  little  in  comparison,  and  greatest  near  the  lower  end.  The  lake  is 
aharply  divided  near  the  middle  by  The  Narrows  into  an  upper  or  northern  and 
a  lower  or  southern  section,  of  approx.  equal  areas.  The  N.  division  Is  of 
extremely  irregular  figure  ;  it  discharges  through  Lake  St.  Martin  nnd  by  Stur- 
geon r.  into  Lake  Winnipeg,  and  is  connected  with  Lake  Winnipegoosis  t>y  tiie 
two  Water-hen  rivers  and  Water-hen  lake  ;  but  a  more  direct  communication  is 
afforded  by  Meadow  (formerly  Savannah)  portage,  i  m.,  $7  chains,  '.!o  links 
long.  The  S.  division  is  of  pyriform  figure,  with  the  thick  end  southw.nrd  nearly 
to  lat.  50",  and  within  some  18  m.  of  Portage  la  Prairie  on  the  Assiniboine  ; 
alt.  810  feet  above  sea-level.  The  lake  has  a  history  of  over  150  years,  has 
been  the  site  of  many  different  establishments,  and  still  has  several  Indian 
reserves  on  its  shores.     It  was  called  Lac  des  Prairies  in  1740,  and  at  various 


i: 


U 


,;M. 


208 


ROUND  TRIP  TO  VARIOUS  POSTS. 


f'Stl 


dogs,  and  my  men  each  a  train  with  three  dogs,  for  our 
baggage  and  provisions.  The  snow  was  very  deep,  but 
in  the  plains  hard  enough  to  bear  a  man  on  snowsloes,  and 
my  dogs  also.  Our  first  stage  was  two  days  to  [Augus- 
tin]  Cadotte's  house  at  Pinancewaywining  [in  Pembina 
mountains]  thence  four  days'  hard  marching  to  Riviere  la 
Souris  [Mouse  river],  where  Mr.  [C.  J.  B.]  Chaboillez  is 
wintering.  Thence  our  course  was  N.  for  three  days  to  the 
foot  of  Fort  Dauphin  mountain,  where  Joseph  St.  Germain 
had  built  on  a  branch  of  White  [Terre  Blanche  or  White 
Mud]  river.  Thence  our  course  was  N.  E.  through  a  low 
marshy  country  overgrown  with  willows,  reeds,  stunted  pop- 
lars, and  lastly  ^pinettes  [tamarac,  Larix  americatia]  that 
had  been  so  tossed  down  across  each  other,  that  it  was  hard 
work  to  reach  Lake  Manitouaubanc  [Manitoba]  in  two 
days.  Here  we  found  Mr.  [J.]  McDonnell,  Junior,  starving 
with  buffalo  at  his  door.  Thence  we  took  the  ice  on  our 
return,  and  had  terribly  stormy  weather  on  the  lake.  Our 
course  was  about  S.  for  three  days  to  Portage  la  Prairie,  and 
thence  about  S.  E.  for  four  hard  days  to  Panbian  river, 
where  we  arrived  Feb.  3d.  Through  all  this  country  we 
never  marched  a  day  without  passing  herds  of  buffalo  ;  even 
along  the  shore  of  the  lake  they  were  very  numerous. 

On  arrival  I  found  some  of  Mr.  Cameron's  men  from 
above  ;  they  have  lately  been  up  as  far  as  Goose  river,  and 


times  Prairie  1.,  Meadow  I.,  Lake  of  the  Meadows ;  also,  Assiniboine  1.,  in  var- 
ious forms  of  the  term  ;  also.  Swan  1. ;  Henry  gives  Rush  1. ,  beyond  ;  and  Har- 
mon calls  the  N.  division  Muddy  1.,  p.  51.  The  forms  of  the  word  Manitoba  are 
numerous  ;  Henry  or  his  copyist  gives  us  several,  McKenzie  maps  Manitaubos, 
1801,  and  I  have  noted  Manito  (without  the  end  element),  Manitoban,  Manetho- 
waubane,  M'anithoaubang,  etc.  Bell,  /.  c,  has  :  "  The  word  is  said  by  Pin 
Lacombe,  an  excellent  authority  on  the  Cree  langu^e,  to  be  derived  from 
Manitowapaw,  supernatural  or  god-like.  Other  authorities  say  it  means  '  the 
place  where  the  spirit  dwells,' alluding  to  the  Narrows  of  Lake  Manitoba,  where 
the  water  seldom,  if  ever,  freezes  over,  owing  to  the  presence  of  springs  or  its 
rapid  motion  at  that  place."  Henry  does  not  locate  McDonnell's  house  closely; 
but  as  he  was  three  days  in  reaching  Portage  la  Prairie,  it  must  have  been 
pretty  high  up  toward  the  Narrows — perhaps  at  or  near  present  Manitoba  house 
and  'jcttleme&t ;  present  Kinosota  in  that  vicinity. 


SliVLRAL  MURDERS — THE   ROOT  OF  ALL  EVIL.      209 


tcli  me  the  buffalo  continue  in  abundance  from  this  place 
to  that  river,  and  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  southward. 
What  vast  numbers  there  must  be ! 

Feb.  6th.  I  went  to  Turtle  river ;  was  gone  eight  days. 
The  crust  on  the  snow  is  so  hard  as  to  bear  a  man  without 
snowshoes,  which  makes  it  pleasant  traveling  with  dogs. 

Feb.  15th.  Indians  drinking  at  the  fort.  Tabashaw 
stabbed  a  near  relation  of  his  own,  Missistaygouine,  in  six 
different  places  in  the  breast  and  sides ;  every  stab  went  up 
to  the  handle ;  the  poor  fellow  lingered  an  hour  and  died. 
Water  Hen  [Poule  d'Eau],  in  fighting  with  another  Indian, 
was  thrown  into  the  fire  and  roasted  terribly  from  his  neck 
to  his  rump.  Both  these  affairs  proceeded  from  jealousy. 
25th.  In  the  evening  we  were  surprised  by  hearing  three 
reports  of  a  gun.  Old  Fallewine  [Vieux  FoUe  Avoine,  Old 
Wild  Rice],  soon  arrived,  and  bawled  out  at  a  distance,  as 
soon  as  he  thought  we  could  hear  him,  that  five  Indians  had 
been  murdered  near  Portage  la  Prairie  since  I  passed  there, 
relations  of  himself  and  some  others  camped  here.  This 
firing  was  the  usual  signal  of  death  in  carrying  news  from 
one  camp  to  another.  But  the  Indians  totally  neglect 
their  ancient  customs ;  and  to  what  can  this  degeneracy  be 
ascribed  but  to  their  intercourse  with  us,  particularly  as  they 
are  so  unfortunate  as  to  have  a  continual  succession  of 
opposition  parties  to  teach  them  roguery  and  destroy  both 
mind  and  body  with  that  pernicious  article,  rum  ?  What  a 
different  set  of  people  they  would  be,  were  there  not  a  drop 
of  liquor  in  the  country  !  If  a  murder  is  committed  among 
the  Saulteurs,  it  is  always  in  a  drinking  match.  We  may 
truly  say  that  liquor  is  the  root  of  all  evil  in  the  North  West. 
Great  bawling  and  lamentation  went  on,  and  I  was  troubled 
most  of  the  night  for  liquor  to  wash  away  grief. 

Feb.  27th.  Little  Crane  [Petite  Grue],  and  Gros  Bras* 
[Thick  Arms]  son,  died  about  the  same  time.  We  buried 
them  in  one  grave  ;  the  ground  was  frozen  solid  for  3J^  feet. 
I  have  a  net  under  the  ice,  and  take  daily  from  5  to  10  fish, 
lacaishe,  suckers,  pike,  dor^,  etc. 


I 


210    Pi(OGRESS  OF  THE  SEASON,   MARCH  AND  APRIL. 

Mar.  igth.  I  saw  nightingales,  a  gull,  and  a  hawk.  We 
take  from  30  to  50  tish  daily.  -25M.  Heavy  rain  ;  snow  all 
gone ;  wild  fowl  in  abundance.  Red  river  clear  of  ice.  Water 
very  high.  Women  making  sugar.  Very  few  drowned 
buffalo  drift  down  this  spring.  2jth.  The  plains  are  cov- 
ered with  water  from  the  melting  of  the  snow  so  suddenly, 
and  our  men  suffer  much,  as  they  are  continually  on  the 
march,  looking  after  Indians  in  every  creek  and  little  river. 
The  water  is  commonly  knee  deep,  in  some  places  up  to 
the  middle,  and  in  the  morning  is  usually  covered  with  ice, 
which  makes  it  tedious  and  even  dangerous  traveling. 
Some  of  our  besi  men  lose  the  use  of  their  legs  while  still 
in  the  prime  of  life.  30th.  One  of  my  men  undertook  to 
make  a  real  pair  of  wheels  on  the  plan  of  those  in  Canada  ; 
he  finished  them  to-day,  and  they  were  very  well  done. 
I  made  him  chief  wheelwright,  and  we  shall  soon  have 
some  capital  carts.  A  man  gave  a  large  stout  dog  a  kick  in 
the  side,  of  which  the  poor  beast  died  instantly. 

Apr.  8th.  Plains  on  fire  in  every  direction.  We  began 
to  fear  the  Assiniboines  and  Crees  might  steal  our  horses  ; 
they  have  seemed  honest  thus  far,  but  they  are  all  horse- 
thieves.  13th.  Men  making  blockhouses  to  defend  the 
fort.  We  pretend  it  is  on  account  of  the  Sioux,  but  I 
apprehend  much  less  danger  from  them  than  from  the 
Saulteurs,  who  are  getting  numerous,  and  at  times  insolent. 
I4ih.  Men  working  at  the  new  ground,  and  manuring  the 
garden.  Indians  arriving  daily  and  drinking  the  proceeds 
of  the  spring  hunt.  igth.  The  men  began  to  demolish 
our  dwelling-houses,  which  were  built  of  bad  wood,  and  to 
build  new  ones  of  oak.  The  nests  of  mice  we  found,  and 
the  swarms  of  fleas  hopping  in  every  direction,  were  aston- 
ishing. 20th.  Indians  drinking.  Le  Boeuf  quarreled  with 
his  wife  and  knocked  her  senseless  with  a  club,  which 
opened  a  garh  on  her  head  six  inches  long  and  down  to  the 
bone.  She  .aid  so  long  before  she  recovered  her  senses 
that  I  believed  her  dead.  22d.  Mr,  [Augustin]  Cadotte 
arrived  from  Hair  hills  en  baggage.    23d.    I   sent  a   man 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  SEASON,  APRIL  AND   MAY.        211 


with  a  new  cart  to  Portage  la  Prairie  by  way  of  White 
Horse  plains,  which  is  a  little  above  the  Grand  Passage  on 
the  Assiniboine.  zdtk.  Fire  raging  all  over  the  plains, 
causing  a  great  smoke ;  Indians  still  drinking.  One  woman 
stabbed  another  with  a  knife  in  four  places,  but  I  supposed 
none  of  them  dangerous,  being  all  flesh  wounds,  joth.  The 
Indians  made  a  barrier  in  Panbian  river  to  take  sturgeon  on 
their  return  down  the  current.  Men  brought  me  in  a  few 
outarde  eggs.  Women  were  gathering  rat-tails  to  eat.  This 
root  is  about  the  size  of  a  pipe-stem,  and  from  6  to  lo 
inches  long  ;  a  number  of  them  grow  from  the  same  stalk, 
in  pools  and  marshes  ;  they  are  of  a  yellowish  color,  tender 
and  pleasant  to  the  taste,  at  all  seasons,  but  particularly  in 
the  spring.    They  are  preferable  to  the  esquebois. 

May  1st.  We  take  plenty  of  sturgeon.  Settled  the 
men's  accounts  and  hired  some  of  them  for  three  years, 
but  the  Kamanistiquia  route  deters  others  from  settling 
for  the  present.  Our  men  and  the  X.  Y.  fighting  and  quar- 
reling. Augustin  Cadotte  and  his  men  arrived  with  their 
baggage  from  Pinancewaywining.  Indians  drinking ;  two 
of  them  stabbed,  but  not  dangerously,  ph.  I  started 
Mr.  Cadotte  with  a  man  for  Riviere  aux  Islets  de  Bois, 
with  one  of  our  new  carts.  This  invention  is  worth  four 
horses  to  us,  as  it  would  require  five  horses  to  carry  as 
much  on  their  backs  as  one  will  drag  in  each  of  those 
large  carts.  6th.  Indians  arrive  daily  and  drink  con- 
tinually, yth.  I  planted  potatoes,  turnips,  carrct^,  beets, 
parsnips,  onions,  and  cabbage-stalks  for  seeds.  Sowed  cab- 
bage seed.  loth.  We  finished  planting  eight  kegs  of  po- 
tatoes. I2th.  My  beau-p^re  desired  me  to  take  his  second 
daughter,  saying  one  woman  was  not  sufficient  for  a  chief, 
and  that  all  great  men  should  have  a  plurality  of  wives,  the 
more  the  better,  provided  they  were  all  of  the  same  family. 
He  set  a  striking  example  of  this  himself,  as  he  had  for 
wives  three  sisters  at  that  time.  Cadotte  returned  with  a 
cart-load  of  sugar  and  skins ;  his  wife  was  delivered  of  a 
daughter,      ijth.      X.  Y.  embarked  for  the  Forks.      The 


I 


212 


ROUND  TRIP  TO   PORTAGE  LA  PRAIRIE. 


men's  range  of  new  buildings  are  finished.  i6th.  Sowing 
carrot,  onion,  and  other  seeds.  Lambert"  making  his 
gum,  which  he  collected  during  the  winter  on  Rat  river. 
i8th.  Laverdure"  making  bellows  for  his  shop.  20th. 
Two  men  in  a  t.mall  canoe  arrived  from  Portage  la  Prairie, 
with  two  kegs  of  potatoes,  and  a  cat  for  les  souris  [the 
mice].  We  take  plenty  of  catfish  with  a  night-line  of  60 
hooks,  and  20  to  30  sturgeon  a  day.  Turnips  begin  to 
appear.  21st.  Mr.  Cameron  arrived  from  Red  lake  with  a 
cargo  of  sugar,  10  days  from  that  place ;  he  could  have 
purchased  a  greater  quantity,  but  had  no  means  of  bring- 
ing it  down.  2jd.  Indians  making  their  grand  medicine. 
Langlois  returned  with  a  few  packs  of  beavers  and  bears. 

May  2^th.  Set  off  with  four  men  on  horseback  for  Por- 
tage la  Prairie,  to  arrange  that  post  for  the  summer.  We 
found  much  water  in  the  plains ;  swam  our  horses  over 
Riviere  aux  Marais,  Panbian  river,  and  Rivifere  aux  Gratias, 
where  we  camped ;  no  wood ;  mosquitoes  by  the  millions, 
and  woodticks.  25th.  Camped  at  Rivifere  aux  Islets  de 
Bois;  water  up  to  our  horses*  bellies.  Quiniss  [No.  35,  p.  54] 
traded  some  skins.    26th.    Hired  an  Assiniboine  to  guide 

***  There  were  at  fewest  five  Lamberts  of  the  N.  \V.  Co.  about  this  time. 
— One  Lambert,  Fort  Chipewyan,  1799. — Antoine  Lambert,  Lake  Winnipeg, 
1804. — £tiennc  Lambert,  in  the  Athabasca  Dept.,  1804;  quite  likely  the  one 
first  said. — "  Mr."  Lambert  was  with  Henry  at  Pembina,  winter  of  1803-04. 
— Joseph  Lambert  was  with  Henry  at  Pembina  in  1807-08. — Jean  Baptiste  Lam- 
bert guided  Henry's  brigade  on  the  Kaministiquia  route  in  June,  1806,  and  was 
again  his  guide  in  1807-08.  The  three  last  said  are  probably  only  two  persons, 
but  which  one  is  the  Lambert  of  the  above  text  does  not  appear.  In  Masson, 
I.  p.  401,  "  Lambert "  appears  as  an  alternative  name  of  J.  B.  Robillard, 
guide  of  the  Lower  Red  River  brigade,  1804.  As  this  brigade  was  Henry's, 
an'l  "  J.  B."  almost  invariably  means  Jean  Baptiste,  the  identity  seems  unques- 
tionable.— Pierre  Lambert  was  drowned  in  a  small  lake  near  Lake  McLeod,  in 
the  Rocky  mts..  May,  i8i2. 

"  Name  in  question,  whether  Laverdure,  Laventure,  or  Lacouture,  all  of 
which  occur  in  N.  W.  Co.  annals  about  this  time. — One  Laverdure  was  in 
Athabasca,  1788-89. — Joseph  Riquerin,  dit  Laverdure,  is  listed  in  1804,  Fort 
des  Prairies  and  English  r. — Louis  L'A venture  is  listed  in  1804,  Fort  Dauphin. 
— Paul  Laventure  is  listed  in  1804,  Fond  du  Lac. — One  La  Couture  was  on 
Mouse  r.  in  1794. — Fran9ois  Lacouture  is  listed  in  1804,  Upper  Redr. 


ROUND  TRIP  TO   PORTAGE   LA   PRAIRIE. 


213 


US  through  the  strong  woods.  Sent  two  men  for  bark  to 
repair  canoes ;  hired  Quiniss  to  guide  them.  At  twelve 
o'clock  we  were  obliged  to  leave  our  horses,  the  road  being 
too  bad,  with  water,  mire,  and  sticks  crossed.  I  left  a  man 
to  watch  them.  Camped  at  the  Beaver  dam  ;  woodticks,  mos- 
quitoes, rain,  and  no  covering.  27th.  Early  on  our  march  ; 
water  and  mud  up  to  the  middle,  and  cross-sticks  every 
moment  tripping  us  headlong.  Our  guide  killed  a  young 
moose.  At  ten  o'clock  we  arrived  opposite  the  house ; 
water  very  high.  Crossed  in  a  loaded  boat  that  had  come 
from  Alexandria"  on  her  way  to  Bas  de  la  Riviere,  with  two 
men  and  70  pieces — packs  and  pemmican.  Indians  camped 
here,  and  people  from  the  outposts  arrived.  I  made  every 
arrangement  for  the  summer,  and  on  the  29th  set  off  to  re- 
trace our  steps  through  the  strong  woods,  water,  mud,  and 
cross-sticks.  We  came  to  where  we  had  left  our  horses  and 
stopped  for  the  night,  tormented  almost  to  death  by 
insects.  30th,  Reached  Riviere  aux  Islets  de  Bois  and 
remained  with  the  Indians  all  night ;  the  men  arrived,  but 
brought  no  good  bark.  3tst.  Never  have  I  seen  so  many 
mosquitoes  as  to-day.  The  weather  was  calm,  and  there 
was  too  much  water  on  the  plains  for  our  horses  to  proceed. 
We  were  suffocated  apd  suffered  intolerably.  Buffalo  in 
abundance.  We  picked  up  a  quantity  of  eggs  of  different 
kinds.     Camped  at  Riviere  aux  Gratias,  without  wood. 

Wednesday,  June  ist.  At  one  o'clock  we  reached  Pan- 
bian  river.  We  take  from  30  to  40  sturgeon  a  day.  The 
leaves  are  at  full  size,  and  all  vegetables  are  out  of  the 

"  Fort  Alexandria,  high  up  on  the  Assinibome,  g  m.  above  one  of  the  H.  B. 
Co.  posts,  2  days  from  Swan  r.,  4  days  from  Fort  Dauphin,  on  rising  ground 
near  a  prairie  10  m.  long  and  4  to  i  m.  broad,  woods  at  a  little  distance  in  the 
rear  ;  the  fort  16  x  12  rods,  well  built,  plastered  and  whitewashed  ;  strengthened  . 
in  1801,  for  fear  of  Fall  Indians  ;  abandoned  Apr.  i8th,  1805.  Harmon  arr. 
Oct.  23d,  1800 ;  McLeod  in  charge  then ;  Hugh  McGillis  arrived  Dec.  2ist, 
from  Red  Deer  r.;  Harmon  wintered  there,  1800-01:  see  his  Journal,  1820,  p. 
59  sfq.  (Not  to  be  confounded  with  that  Fort  Alexandria  which  was  named  for 
Sir  Alexander  McKenzie,  because  built  on  the  spot  where  he  began  his  retreat 
June  23d,  1793  ;  nor  with  Fort  Alexander,  au  Bas  de  la  Riviire.) 


■lOi^fc,  i»i'^»»i'> 


",^.11  %i*"*'  - 


h 


214 


FROM   PEMBINA  TO   WINNIPEG. 


ground ;  the  men  are  weeding,  hoeing  potatoes,  and  repair- 
ing canoes;  Indians  drinking,  ^//i.  I  sent  off  a  boat 
loaded  with  pemmican  for  the  Forks.  6t/t.  Transplanted 
500  cabbages.  7///.  Indians  all  decamped  on  the  E.  side. 
Twenty  Indian  canoes  arrived  from  Red  lake  with  sugar 
and  furs.  St/i.  The  Indians  who  had  decamped  returned 
to  drink;  Lambert  beat  Le  Sicur."  Indians  fighting 
among  themselves  and  with  us  also — a  very  troublesome 
drinking  match.  Made  up  my  packs.  Traded  for  10  kegs 
of  sugar  and  some  skins  and  furs.  lot/t.  Finished  gum- 
ming and  repairing  the  canoes.  The  summer  men  came  in 
with  10  buffalo,  which  are  numerous,  near  at  hand,  and  very 
fat.     /////.     Sent  off  six  canoes  for  the  Forks. 

June  ijt/t.  At  nine  o'clock  I  embarked  on  board  my 
canoe  with  eight  men,  leaving  M.  Langlois  in  charge  of  the 
fort,  with  six  men.  I  gave  the  Indians  six  kegs  of  liquor, 
and  bade  them  adieu.  /^M.  At  ten  o'clock  I  arrived  at  the 
Forks.  Mr.  Chaboillez  embarked  with  his  brigade.  X.  Y. 
Rocheblave "  from  Fort  Dauphin  Prairie  for  pemmican. 
Duford  drunk.    Mr.  [E.]  Harrison,  Delorme  [note  "  p.  193], 

"  For  Lambert,  see  note  '",  p.  2I3.  The  above  Le  Sieur  is  probably  not  the 
Toussaint  Le  Sieur  of  note**,  p.  3f  who  built  Fort  Alexander  in  1792,  but 
another  of  the  same  full  name,  listed  as  a  clerk  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  on  Lower  Red 
r.  in  1804 ;  Henry  speaks  of  this  one  beyond,  Oct.,  1804. — Calixte  Lesieur 
appears  as  voyageurN.  W.  Co.,  Lake  Winnipeg,  1804. 

**  That  is,  Monsieur  Pierre  de  Rocheblave,  then  a  bourgeois  of  the  X.  Y. 
Co.,  who  became  a  personage  later  on.  He  was  nephew  of  Philippe  de  Roche- 
blave, who  fought  on  the  Monongahela  near  Fort  Duquesne,  July  9th,  1755. 
He  entered  the  N.  W.  Co.  early,  became  a  partner  in  the  X.  V.  Co.  in  1801, 
and  went  to  superintend  the  Athabasca  Dept.  He  arrived  at  McLeod's 
fort.  Peace  r.,  Oct.  7th,  1803,  with  Mr.  I^eith,  also  of  the  X.  Y.;  their  clerks 
were  Chatellain  and  Lamotte.  Rocheblave  signed  the  Montreal  agreement  of 
Nov..  5th,  1804,  by  his  attys.,  and  replaced  the  elder  Chaboillez  in  the  Dept. 
of  the  Assiniboine  in  1805.  He  arrived  at  Fort  William,  a  p.  m.  Sunday, 
Aug.  2d,  1812,  on  the  Invincible,  and  in  1817  was  sent  there  to  procure  the 
arrest  of  Lord  Selkirk.  After  his  retirement  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Legislative  Assembly  of  Montreal,  and  subsequently  of  the  Legislative  and 
Executive  Councils  of  Lower  Canada  and  Commissioner  of  Parishes.  Mrs. 
Rocheblave  had  been  Miss  Elmire  Bouthiller.  Of  two  daughters,  one  became 
Mrs.  Captain  Willoughby. 


FROM   WINNIPEG  TO  BAS  DE  LA   RIVlfeRE. 


215 


and  Veaudrie  [Toussaint  Vaudry  "]  started  for  Portage  la 
Prairie,  to  summer  there.  i6th.  Gave  out  baggages  and 
sent  off  the  canoes  and  boats.  At  ten  I  embarked,  passed 
them,  and  camped  at  the  entrance  of  Red  river.  lyth. 
Stopped  by  the  strong  N.  W.  wind  and  rain.  My  brigade 
overtook  me.  i8th.  The  wind  continued  ;  examined  and 
dried  the  packs.  Portage  la  Prairie  pemmican  and  packs 
rotten,  through  the  carelessness  of  the  master,  igth.  Wind 
continued  ;  embarked  and  worked  against  it  all  day  ;  at  sun- 
set  I  arrived  at  Bas  de  la  Riviere.  20th.  I  remained  await- 
ing the  canoes  from  Athabasca  river,  Fort  des  Prairies,  Lake 
Winipic,  and  Upper  Red  river ;  my  brigade  went  ahead. 

Sunday,  June  2ist.  We  embarked  at  the  Gallois  in  six 
light  canoes,  manned  by  15  men.  We  were:  from  Atha- 
basca river,  Mr.  McLain ; "  Fort  des  Prairies,  Mr.  [John] 
McDonnell;  Swan  river,  Mr.  McGillis";  Upper  Red  river, 

'•  No  question  of  identity.  The  name  occurs  in  many  forms  in  the  Henry 
MSS. — Vaudry,  Veaudry,  Vaudrie,  Veaudrie,  and  in  any  case  V»rith  «  for  u  by 
scribe's  error  ;  Thompson  calls  him  Vaudril.  Toussaint  Vaudry  was  a  well- 
known  character,  who  had  been  30  years  in  the  Northwest  in  1818,  when  he  was 
at  Toronto  as  a  witness  in  the  Semple  case.  He  went  with  Thompson  to  the 
Mandans  in  1797-98,  and  with  Henry  on  the  same  journey  in  1806.  We  shall 
hear  more  of  him  when  we  come  to  that  part  of  Henry's  journal. 

'*  John  McLain,  a  clerk  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  was  in  charge  of  Fort  de  la  Montee, 
on  the  Saskatchewan,  in  June,  1814. 

"  There  were  at  least  three  persons  of  this  name  :  A.  McGillis,  full  name 
unknown  ;  Hugh  McGillis  ;  and  Donald  McGillis.  The  one  here  in  mention  was 
not  Donald  (who  is  the  "  M'Gilles  "  of  Irving's  Astoria,  and  of  whom  we  shall 
hear  more  when  Henry  is  on  the  Columbia).  But  he  may  have  been  either  A. 
or  Hugh,  both  of  whom  were  at  Fort  Dauphin  and  in  that  region  for  some  years 
before  and  after  1800,  and  have  more  tha-.  once  been  confused.  The  proof  that 
they  were  two  persons  appears  in  Henry  FtJ.  17th,  1806,  when  A.  McGillis 
reaches  Pembina  from  Fort  Dauphin,  Hugh  McGillis  being  known  to  have  been 
at  Leech  1.  at  that  date.  The  certain  memoranda  I  have  of  A.  McGillis  are 
only  the  one  just  said,  and  one  in  Thompson's  MS.  of  July  9th,  1806,  at  which 
date  "  Mr.  McGillis  of  Fort  Dauphin"  was  at  Lac  la  Croix  on  the  new  Kamin- 
istiquia  route. — Hugh  McGillis  was  in  tltc  Fort  Dauphin  Dept.  in  1 799 ;  he  left 
Encampment  isl.  in  Lake  Winnipegoosis  Sept, ,  1800,  en  route  to  winter,  1800-01, 
at  the  N.  W.  Co.  house  on  that  Red  Deer  r.  v.'hich  falls  into  the  lake  said  ; 
wintered  1802-03  at  Fort  Alexandria,  where  he  arr.  Oct.  2ist,  1802  ;  returned 
Oct.  19th,  1803,  from  Grand  Portage  to  Fort  Alexandria,  and  wintered  there 


(11 

ni 
t 


2l6 


EN   ROUTE   FOR  KAMINISTIQUIA. 


Mr.  Cameron ;  Lake  Winipic,  Mr.  McKenzie  " ;  Lower  Red 
river,  myself.  We  had  but  a  scanty  stock  of  provisions,  and 
not  one  pack  or  package.  Some  had  neither  tent  nor 
blanket.  Everything  went  over  the  portages  at  one  trip. 
Canoes  and  all  at  full  trot ;  embarked  all  hands  helter-skel- 

1803-04 ;  left  Apr.  39th,  1804,  for  Kaministiquia.  He  signed  the  Montreal 
agreement  of  Nov.  5th,  1804,  by  his  attys.  He  wintered,  1805-06,  at  Leech  1.: 
see  Pike,  ed.  1895,  pp.  154,  155,  171,  173,  173,  174,  180,  341,  347,  350, 
354,  374. — Memoranda  applicable  either  to  A.  or  H.  McGillis  are:  "  Mr." 
McGillis,  clerk  N.  VV.  Co.  for  Red  Deer  r.,  left  Grand  Portage  with  David 
Thompson  at  9  a.  m.  Wednesday,  Aug.  9th,  1797.  "  Mr."  McGillis  was  at 
Winnipeg  House,  July  31st,  1798.  "  Mr."  McGillis'  Indian  father  <n-law  was 
met  on  Lake  Winnipeg,  Aug.  33d,  1804.  "  Mr."  McGillis  arrived  at  1  )rt  Wil- 
iiam  on  the  Invincible  at  3  p.  m.  Sunday,  Aag.  3d,  i8i3. 

"  It  is  always  difficult,  and  as  a  rule  impossible,  to  identify  a  Mackenzie  or 
McKenzie  whose  full  name  is  not  given,  and  in  the  present  case  I  am  entirely  m 
the  dark.  I  speak  elsewhere  of  Sir  Alexander  McKenzie,  the  mo3t  command- 
ing figure  in  all  these  annals  ;  of  his  cousin,  Hon.  Rof'eric  McKenzie,  and  of 
k.iother  Roderic  McKenzie  ;  of  Charles  McKenzie,  whom  we  shall  find  at  the 
Mandans  with  Henry  in  t8o6 ;  of  Donald  McKenzie,  the  overland  Astorian, 
whom  we  shall  find  on  the  Columbia  with  Henry  ;  and  of  many  others.  But  I 
find  no  better  place  than  this  to  record  some  memoranda  of  Daniel  McKenzie 
and  James  McKenzie,  witl\out  raising  any  question  of  the  pertinence  of  these 
names  in  the  present  connection. 

Daniel  McKenzie  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  is  named  by  Thompson  at  Grand  Port- 
age, July  33d,  1797,  as  agent  for  Fortdes  Prairies  and  Red  Deer  r.  He  was  a 
proprietor  of  the  company  in  1799  in  the  Upper  Fort  des  Prairies  and  Rocky 
Mountain  Depts.  He  arrived  at  Fort  George  on  the  Saskatchewan  Sept.  33d, 
1799,  from  Turtle  r.,  and  left  for  Fort  Augustus  Sept.  25th.;  with  him  were 
Messrs.  Stuart  and  King.  He  was  on  the  Kaministiquia  route  in  Aug.,  1804, 
and  he  signed  the  Montreal  agreement  of  Nov,  5th,  1804,  by  his  attys. — "  D." 
McKenzie  was  held  by  ice  on  Lac  la  Rouge,  with  34 packs,  June  14th,  i8i3,  and 
this  was  not  Donald  McKenzie,  who  was  then  on  the  Columbia. 

James  McKenzie,  brother  of  Hon.  Roderic  McKenzie,  entered  the  N.  W. 
Co.  in  1794.  He  arrived  at  Grand  Portage  from  Athabasca  July  2d.  1798,  and 
left  for  Athabasca  July  loth,  1798.  There  he  had  charge  of  Fort  ChipeNvyan, 
winter  of  1799-1800,  with  W.  F.  Wentzel :  see  his  Journal,  pub.  1890  in  Mas- 
son,  II.  pp.  371-99.  He  became  a  partner  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  in  l8o3,  and 
settled  at  Quebec  in  charge  of  the  King's  Posts  leased  by  the  company  :  see  his 
account  of  them  in  Masson,  /.  c.  pp.  401-54.  He  signed  the  Montreal  agree- 
ment of  Nov.  5th,  1804,  by  his  attys.  He  died  at  Quebec  in  1849,  leaving  two 
sons  and  two  daughters.  One  of  the  former,  Keith  McKenzie,  of  the  H.  B. 
Co.,  was  living  in  1889  ;  one  of  the  daughters  became  Mrs.  Patrick,  and  the 
other  was  in  1889  widow  of  Lt.  Col.  McDougall  of  Kingston  (Masson,  I.  p.  56). 


THE   KAMINISTIQUIA   ROUTE. 


217 


ter,  pushed  off,  and  all  paddled  as  if  chased  by  an  enemy. 
The  Lake  Winipic  canoe  was  a  dull  vessel ;  threw  her  away 
at  Lac  du  Bonnet  and  embarked  her  men  in  the  five  others. 
Arrived  at  Lac  la  Pluie  early  on  the  26th.  We  had  been 
stopped  by  the  wind  in  Lac  des  Bois.  27th.  I  procured  a 
guide  to  take  our  brigade  by  the   Kamanistiquia  road.'* 

'*  Thus  far  en  route  from  Lake  Winnipeg  to  Fort  William  on  Lake  Superior, 
Henry  has  retraced  the  regular  route  up  Winnipeg  r.,  through  Lake  of  the 
Woods,  up  Rainy  r.,  through  Rainy  1.  and  so  on  to  Lac  la  Croix  :  see  back,  p.  17, 
note  '*  and  following.  In  1803  Fort  William  was  just  established,  and  a  "  new 
route  "  began  to  be  followed  from  Lac  la  Croix  to  Kaministiquia.  Henry  takes 
this  one,  which  we  will  proceed  to  follow  to  his  destination,  though  he  gives  us 
hardly  any  data  for  so  doing.  But  Book  No.  15,  forming  Vol.  vii.  of  the  pre- 
cious Thompson  MSS.,  contains  A  Journey  from  Kaministiquia  to  the  West  End 
of  Lac  la  Croix,  July  35th  to  Aug.  qth,  1804,  together  with  13  folios  of  traverse- 
tables  of  the  same  route,  thus  outlining  all  its  main  features.  With  whatever 
deviation  in  detail,  the  Kaministiquia  route  at  the  beginning  of  this  century  cor- 
responds in  most  of  its  extent  to  the  present  Dawson  route  as  a  practicable 
waterway,  with  various  portages,  from  Lac  la  Croix  to  Thunder  bay  of  Lake 
Superior.  Tlie  general  trend  is  E.  N.  E.  up  past  Lac  des  Mille  Lacs  to  the 
Height  of  Land  between  Hudsonian  and  Laurentian  waters,  then  S.  S.  P3. 
d'wn  Kaministiquia  r. 

Thus,  the  voyageur  in  Lac  la  Croix  passed  the  grettt  Coleman  isl.  on  his  righ 
and  went  on  E.  to  the  N.  E.  extension  of  the  lake,  past  the  mouth  of  Wild  Goose 
r.,  left,  and  so  entered  Riviire  Maligne  (present  Malign  or  Sturgeon  r.),  and  was 
thus  fairly  en  route  by  the  "  new"  track.  Bell  isl.  and  Lou  isl.  lie  at  the  en- 
trance of  Sturgeon  r. ;  at  the  latter  was  a  chute,  now  dammed,  causing  the  Island 
portage.  Sturgeon  r.  soon  dilates  into  Tanner's  1.,  the  head  of  which  receives 
the  discharge  of  Pooh  Bah  i.  through  a  river  of  the  same  elegant  name,  but 
alongside  this  the  main  course  of  Sturgeon  r. ,  more  northerly,  continues  ;  Malign 
chute,  portage,  and  present  dam  mark  this  section  of  the  river,  which  flows 
from  the  large  Sturgeon  I.,  on  an  island  in  which  is  Maclaren's  trading-house. 
Sturgeon  narrows  succeeds  the  lake,  and  at  the  head  of  this  narrow  section. 
Sturgeon  r.  is  left  off  to  the  right,  to  pursue  its  way  until  it  connects,  through  a 
maze  of  lakes,  with  Lake  Saganaga,  on  the  route  we  have  traced  before  :  see 
note",  p.  13.  The  whole  area  thus  inclosed  is  now  called  Hunter's  isl.,  per- 
haps 50  m.  long.  But  turning  N.  from  the  head  of  Sturgeon  narrows  the  route 
passes  through  a  body  of  water  which  receives  Pickere?  r.,  and  then  by  way  of 
Deux  Riviires  or  Two  Rivers  portage  into  Pine  Portage  or  Dor^  1.  This  con- 
nects by  Pine  portage,  where  the  11.  B.  Co.  house  stands,  with  Pickerel  I.,  the 
largest  one  on  the  route  thus  far.  This  is  traversed  its  whole  length  to  its 
head,  where  it  receives  French  r.,  discharging  from  French  1.  Passing  this  small 
lake,  the  track  takes  what  the  voyageurs  called  Portage  Franfais,  131  chains 
long,  and  is  thus  conducted  to  a  stream  which  comes  from  the  present  Lake 


2l8 


THE    KAMINISTIQUIA    ROUTE. 


38th.  Early  wc  cinbdrkcd  in  four  canoes,  with  MufRe 
d'Orignal  [Moose  Muzzle]  as  our  guide  (Pisaunega'.vpe).  In 
Lac  la  Croix,  at  Pointe  du  Ma*  we  struck  away  from  the 
Grand  Portage  route,  steering  an  E.  course  to  the  left  just 
when  we  had  overtaken  an  X.  Y.  brigade  s  cering  on  the  old 
track  to  Grand  Portage,  where  they  continue  to  hold  their 
general  rendci:vous.     The  water  was  remarkably  high  in 


r  i 


IVindigoostigwan,  a  long,  narrow  body  of  water  which  conducts  directly  into 
Lac  des  Mille  Lacs.  This  is  the  largest  one  on  the  whole  route  ;  compare  its 
namesrkc  in  Minnesota,  bearing  a  similar  relation  to  the  many  lesser  ones  about 
itself.  Among  its  feeders  is  one  which  falls  in  at  its  head  ;  this  is  Savanna 
or  Me4d«w  r.,  i^^me  tributaries  of  which  are  gathered  from  tlie  Height  of 
Lane*.  The  route  goes  up  Savanna  r.  and  takes  one  of  these  tributaries, 
no>.  cros::ed  by  the  C.  P.  Ry.  The  traverse  of  the  highlands  includes  a  smUl 
lake  and  two  portages  which  Thoirpson  calls  Swampy  and  Meadow,  and  gives 
as  respectively  »,659  and  4,566  yards,  N.  50'  E.  and  N.  60'  E.  (reversing  his 
courses).  Dawson's  map  marks  four  portaj^es,  .ailed  Savanne,  Middle,  Prairie, 
.Mid  4  L'Eau  Froide.  The  voyageur  was  thus  brought  to  Dog  r.,  i>f  the  Lake 
Superior  watershed :  and  Dog  r.  is  the  principal  rributary  of  the  Knministiquia. 
In  fact,  Thompson  rails  it  all  Dog  r.  down  tu  Fort  /.^illiam  ;  but  the  name 
now  seems  to  o..*  restricted  to  the  upper  reach  of  ihe  K.  irinistiquia  r.,  above 
Dog  1.  Dog  river  is  Descended  about  S,  E.  to  the  lake  said,  the  traverse  of 
which  is  S.  IG  i.'i.  Continuing  down  present  Kaministiquia  r.,  the  route  presents 
Dog  portage,  given  by  Thompson  as  3,181  yards,  and  many  others,  as  what  he 
calls  Wandering  portage.  848  yards,  Mountain  portage,  and  Lazy  portage 
(Portage  Paressmx  of  the  voyag^'turs).  Dawson  names  Dog  Portage,  Little 
Dog  Portage,  Mokaman  or  Mokoman  falls.  Island  falls,  Portag.:  Ecarte,  and 
Kababeka  or  Kakabeka  falls,  besides  numerous  repids.  jefore  coming  to  Lazy 
portage  (lettered  "  Parisseux  Rapid  "). 

It  thus  appears  that  Henry's  Kaministiqv'a  route  was  practicr.ily  identical 
with  the  present  Dawson  route  from  Lac  la  Croix  to  Lac  des  Mille  Lacs,  but 
beyond  this  differed  videly.  The  Dawson  route  became  nearly  hxed  after  cart 
roads  were  cut  across  various  portages.  At  present  a  road  41  m.  long  runs  from 
Port  Arthur  to  Shebandowan  !.,  thus  avoiding  the  lower  part  of  the  old  Kamin- 
istiquia route  altogether.  (See  Rep.  Expl.,  etc.,  by  S.  J.  Dawson,  printed  by 
order  of  the  Legislative  Assembly,  Toronto,  1859,  folio,  maps.) 

In  1804  an  X.  Y.  house  was  parsed  within  a  miir  above  Fort  William.  Before 
1800  the  route  thus  sketched  was  an  "old"  French  waterway,  which  had  been 
abandoned  and  in  a  measure  lost  sight  of  by  the  English,  who  used  the  Pigeon 
River  route  from  Grand  Portage  ;  but  in  1797  it  was  tried  and  reopened  by 
Roderick  McKenzie,  with  the  result  that  headquarters  wore  soon  removed  from 
Grand  Portage  to  f.he  mouth  uf  the  Kaministiquia,  and  Fort  William  wu 
established  :     Heniy's  text  shows  us  this  place  in  the  building  of  it. 


ARRIVAL  AT   FORT  WILLIAM. 


SIC 


the  rivers  on  the  new  road  Met  at  Prairie  portage  J.  M. 
Bouch6,**  who  has  built  a  hut  and  an  oven  to  bake  broad  to 
sell  to  the  winterers  en  passant  for  dressed  leather,  buffalo 
robes,  etc.  He  had  a  great  stock  of  provisions  and  other 
articles  for  sale.  He  dunned  us  with  news  from  Canada,  all 
of  which  we  knew  better  than  himself,  having  met  our  dis- 
patches from  Montreal,  etc.,  at  Lac  la  Pluie.  Those  petty 
traders  are  really  a  nuisance  on  the  rcute.  At  Portage  des 
Chcnes  [Oak  portage  "]  we  found  another  one,  but  he  was 
not  so  loquacious  as  Bouch^.  We  therefore  soon  got  rid 
of  him  by  taking  wherewith  to  treat  our  men  of  liquo.*  and 
provisions. 

July  3d,  In  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  our  new  estab- 
lishment  of  Kamanistiquia.**     The  first  objects  that  struck 

'*>  J.  M.  Bouche  must  have  been  a  freeman,  to  have  so  stimulated  Henry's 
line  scorn.  The  surname  is  probably  originally  identical  with  Boucher,  so  long 
famous  in  Canadian  annals  ;  but  with  none  of  the  many  Bouchers  who  appear 
in  N.  W.  Co.  records  have  we  anything  to  do  in  this  instance.  O.'  Bouch^s  I 
have  noted  : — Joseph  Bouch^,  N.  W.  Co.,  Fort  Chipewyan,  1799. — One  Bouch^ 
of  the  X.  V.  Co.  at  Fort  (ieorge  on  the  Saskatchewan  Sept.  15th,  1799,  when 
Thompson  says  that  "  Buche's  canoe  of  th  ;  little  society"  put  up  there. — One 
Bouch^  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  1804,  was  arranged  by  Thompion  with  La  Fre- 
niire  on  the  Missinipi. — One  Bouche  (or  Boucher),  guide  and  foreman  N.  W. 
Co.,  was  killed  with  two  other  persons,  1804,  atornear  Bois  d'Orignal,  under 
John  McDonald  of  Garth. — One  Bouche  or  Buche  was  one  of  three  men  under 
Jules  Maurice  Quesnel  at  the  Rocky  Mountain  house  when  Thompson  arr. 
there,  Oct.  nth,  1806;  he  was  with  Thompson  in  the  Rocky  mts.  about  head- 
waters of  the  Columbia,  etc.,  from  May,  1807,  to  1810,  and  very  likely  is  the 
the  same  as — Jean  Baptiste  Bouch^,  interpreter  N.  W.  Co.,  in  1810-11  under 
Harmon  at  Fraser  1.  and  Stuart  1.,  British  Columbia,  said  to  have  taken  to  wife 
the  first  TacuUy  or  Carrier  squaw  ever  kept  by  a  white  man. 

"Compare  Gabriel  Franchire,  orig.  ed.,  p.  267,  date  of  July  14th,  1814  ; 
"  Nous  embarqudmes  avant  le  jour,  et  arriv&mes  au  Portage  des  Chiens,  qui  est 
long  et  montueux.  Nous  trouv^mes  au  bas  de  ce  portage,  une  aspice  de  cabaret 
[restaurant]  tenu  par  un  nomm^  Boucher.  Nous  r^aUmes  nos  gens  d'un 
peu  d'eau-de-vie,  et  mange&mes  des  saucissons  dtftestables,  tant  ils  ^taient 
salds."  No  doubt  this  was  Henry's  obnoxious  freeman,  still  in  business  on 
the  Kaministiquia  route. 

"  The  long  name  of  the  short  river  whose  mouth  we  have  reached  has 
fluctuated  to  some  extent,  but  never  irrecognizably  since  we  have  heard  of  it — 
say  1678,  date  of  the  first  establishment  there,  made  by  D.  G.  Duluth.  It  has 
settled  as  Kaministiquia,  with  some  traces  still  of  Kamanistiquia,  the  form 


! 


Ml 


\  i 


330 


KAMINISTK^UIA    RIVER— FORT   WILLIAM. 


US  were  two  vessels  lying  with  their  tides  against  the  bank, 


! 


Mi 


Henry  ums.  Senator  Muaon  prefers  Kaminiitikia,  and  1  obterve  KaministU 
qua  and  Kaminiitiqa  on  the  latett  U  S.  chart  of  Lake  Superior.  The  initial  k 
varies  to  t  and  g,  the  q  to  g,  and  there  were  permutations  in  most  of  the 
vowel*.  Thus,  Gamanestigouya  appears  in  Verendrye'i  journal,  173S-39 ;  we 
hear  from  the  beginning  of  Cameniitiquoia  or  Three  Rivers,  in  allusion  tp  the 
three  channels  by  which  the  river  debouches ;  Kaniinisti  Kweya  is  said  by 
Pettitot  to  mean  Wide  r.;  Caministiquia  is  Sir  A.  McKentie's  form  ;  Harmon 
prints  KlminitiquiA ;  Kamanaitiquoya  appears  in  Malhiot ;  Kamanatekwoya 
or  river  of  Fort  William  is  in  Keating,  p.  13$.  I  have  found  Wandering  r. 
once  ;  and  Dog  r.  was  common  in  Henry's,  Thompson's,  and  Harmon's 
time,  as  above  noted.  The  river  discharges  from  the  W.  into  Thunder  bay 
of  Lake  Superior  between  lat.  49*  20'  and  49'  ao'  30"  N.,  in  long.  89* 
ao'  30"  W.,  by  three  channels,  which  form  a  triangular  delta  including 
two  islands.  The  up|)er  or  N.  one  of  these  is  the  main  mouth,  a^  m. 
from  that  of  the  lower  or  Hig  fork  ;  the  middle  or  Little  fork  empties 
about  midway  between  the  other  two.  On  the  S.  side,  some  3  m.  from 
the  first  forking,  McKay's  mt.  rises  1,000  ft.  above  the  bay,  and  the  last 
rapids  in  the  river  are  about  the  t^me  distance  (direct)  above  the  |>oint 
of  this  hill.  The  main  entrance  to  the  river  was  dredged  to  a  depth  of 
II  ft.,  with  a  width  of  100  ft.,  in  1875.  On  the  N.  two  rivulets  make  into  the 
bay,  at  distances  of  about  i  and  3  m.  respectively;  further  N.,  a^  or  3  m. 
from  Fort  William,  is  Prince  Arthur's  Idg.,  to  which  steamboats  come.  Off  the 
delta  5  m.  is  the  little  group  of  Welcome  ihU. ;  and  at  nearly  twice  that  dis- 
tance further  is  the  boM  point  of  Thunder  cape,  which  delimits  the  bay  14  m. 
S.  E.  from  Prince  Arthur's  Idg. ;  the  steamboat  channel  rounds  the  cape  between 
itself  and  Pie  isl.  The  ground  about  the  fort  is  low  and  swampy,  in  its  natural 
state  supporting  a  heavy  growth  of  mixed  woo<ls  of  spruce,  larch,  fir,  poplar, 
birch,  and  white  cetlar,  with  white  |)ine  and  maple  on  McKay's  mt.  Fort 
William  stomi  and  stands  on  the  N.  bank  of  the  N.  or  main  channel,  a  mile  up. 
Thompson's  observations  yielded  for  the  position  a  mean  of  lat.  48"  33'  4a"  N., 
long.  89*  a4'  15"  W.  The  H.  B.  Co.  post  was  built  across  the  river,  at  Pointe 
de  Meuron.  After  Duluth's  original  post  had  been  abandoned,  there  was  noth- 
ing  until  La  Noue  rebuilt  it,  or  built  on  the  same  site,  in  1717,  a  post  which 
had  been  abandoned  and  long  forgotten  by  the  time  of  the  change  from  the 
French  r^me  to  English  rule,  1763.  I  find  the  date  of  founding  of  Fort 
William  to  vary,  with  different  authorities,  from  1801  to  1807  ;  the  date  usually 
assigned  is  1803,  memorable  alike  to  England,  France,  Spain,  and  the  United 
States  of  America.  The  cloud  is  easily  accounted  for,  if  not  entirely  dispelled, 
by  the  records  we  possess.  The  movement  from  Grand  Portage  to  Kaministi- 
quia  appears  to  have  begun  in  i8ot;  and  building  went  on  in  i8oa  and  1803, 
as  we  see  by  Henry,  but  was  not  expected  to  be  completed  till  1804.  More- 
over, the  fort  did  not  receive  its  present  ame  till  1807,  when  i'  was  so  called 
in  honor  of  William  Macgillivray,  then  one  of  the  personages  of  the  N.  W. 
Co.     Thus,  Harmon  simply  calls  it,  in  1805,  the  "New  Fort,"  at  which  he 


11' 


FORT   WILLIAM— HENRY  S  RETURNS. 


321 


the  Invincible  and  the  Otter,*'  which  were  unloading  their 
cargoes. 

RITVRNt  or  LOWER  RU)  RIVRR  DirARTMBNT,    ISOS-O).** 


NiNi  Canom,  N.  W.  Co 


iloi  B«a*tn,  wel(hl,  a.lis  lbs 

i)j  Black  H«an 

41  Brown  B«ari 

I  (iri<tly  Bear , 

loi  Wulvti 

lao  KoM* 

MKilU 

la;  Ruccoon* , ,,.. 

4g6  Fitham 

17a  Ollcn 

7it  Marttna 

laa  Mlnlc« , 

10  Wolvcrcnta 

194  l.ynxea 

I  j9  UrttMd  Mooi«  and  Blchaa 
119  Shavad  and  Parchment  Skint, 

144  Mutkrala 

4  lluflalo  Robra 

g  Uadgtrt 


94  Packs  o(  90  tbt.  each. 


QS  Hug*  of  Pemmican  of  90  Ibt.  each, 

10  Kegv  of  Sugar 

la  Kega  of  Create 


notes  there  were  t.ooo  laboring  men  in  July  of  that  year.  For  the  condition 
of  things  in  1814,  see  for  example  Franchire,  orig.  V.  ed.  p.  367  ;  E.  trant., 
p.  3S9.  When  Long  was  there,  Sept.,  1833,  it  was  becoming  ruinous;  Mr. 
Roderic  McKenzie  was  superintendent,  and  Mr.  Henry  (qu. :  Robert  or 
William?)  was  with  him  :  so  Keating,  II.  1834,  p.  174.  The  romance  of  this 
great  rendezvous  of  the  Northmen  is  celebrated  in  Irving's  Astoria,  with  that 
fine  penman's  wonted  felicity. 

**  We  hear  of  the  Invincible  till  lost  Nov.  13,  1816.  The  Sloop  Otter,  Capt. 
Bennett,  was  plying  on  Lake  Superior  in  1798. 

**  Of  the  persons  named  in  this  list,  those  on  a  line  with  Henry  had  charge 
of  the  different  outposts  in  his  department :  Edward  Harrison,  John  McDon- 
nell, junior,  Louis  Dorion,  Joseph  St.  Germain,  Augustin  Cadotte,  Michel 
Langlois,  John  Cameron.  The  names  in  the  next  line  are  those  of  the  clerks 
or  assistants  in  four  instances. — We  have  already  noted  John  Cr^bassa  and 
J.  Duford.— Lajeunesse  is  in  due  form  ;  but  the  name  does  not  occur  in  Masson, 
and  I  have  no  mem.  of  any  such  person,  excepting  one  Lajeunesse  whom 


! 


i  (1 


222 


FORT  WILLIAM — THE  CAMPBELLS. 


i 


We  found  great  improvements  had  been  made  for 
one  winter — fort,  store,  shop,  etc.,  built,  tut  not  enough 
dwelling  houses.  Only  one  range  was  erected,  and  that  not 
complete ;  here  were  the  mess  room  and  apartments  for  the 
agents  from  Montreal,  with  a  temporary  kitchen  adjoining. 
We  were  obliged  to  erect  our  tents  during  our  stay,  which 
seldom  exceeded  20  days.  Building  was  going  on  briskly 
in  every  corner  of  the  fort ;  brick  kilns  had  been  erected 
and  were  turning  out  many  bricks,  so  that  we  shall  have 

Thompson  met  on  the  Saskatchewan  July  3d,  18 10,  between  Carp  r.  and  the 
mouth  of  Bow  r.,  in  a  small  canoe  with  one  Duplessier,  from  Cumberland 
House. — The  Campbells  are  naturally  numerous,  considering  the  marked  Scotch 
element  in  the  N.  W.  Co. ;  but  few  of  them  are  easily  identifiable.  The  most 
prominent  name  is  John  Duncan  Campbell,  a  partner  of  the  company,  in  1799 
in  the  Upper  Fort  des  Prairies  and  Rocky  Mountain  Dept. ;  signer  of  the 
Montreal  agreement  of  Nov.  5th,  1804,  by  his  attys.;  in  1819  captured  with 
Benjamin  Frobisher,  Angus  Shaw,  John  G.  McTftvish,  and  some  others,  im- 
prisoned for  some  months  and  released. — From  him  is  to  be  distinguished  a 
Duncan  Campbell,  listed  as  clerk  and  interpreter  N.  W.  Co.,  English  r.,  after 
the  fusion  of  1804.  He  thus  comes  close  to  Henry's  man  in  grade  and  date,  if 
not  the  same  individual. — Colin  or  Collin  Campbell  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  stands 
out  well  for  identity  ;  he  wintered  1812-13  at  Fort  Dunvegan  on  Peace  r.,  and 
was  in  temporary  charge  of  it  during  John  Macgillivray's  absence  in  Feb.  and 
Mar. — Mr.  J.  Campbell  was  on  the  Kaministiquia  route  in  July,  1804. — *'  Mr." 
Campbell  was  at  New  Cumberland  House  June  23d,  1797.  "  Mr."  Campbell 
wintered  in  the  Athabasca  country  1799-1800.  "  Mr."  Campbell  of  the  N.  W 
Co.  was  on  Rapid  r.  late  in  1804.  "Mr."  Campbell  was  on  Lake  Winni- 
peg in  June,  1806.  "  Mr."  Campbell  left  Rainy  Lake  House  Aug.  3d,  1808, 
for  the  interior.  "  Mr."  Campbell  was  at  Fort  Isle  k  la  Crosse  in  June, 
1812,  with  Mr.  Black.  "  Mi."  Campbell  left  Fort  William  for  his  winter 
quarters  Aug.  5th,  1812,  with  Mr.  Thomson  (not  David  Thompson).  Some 
of  the  foregoing  items  unquestionably  mean  Colin  Campbell,  and  others  may 
relate  to  John  Duncan  Campbell. — One  Campbell,  free  trader  on  Minnesota  r. 
with  J.  B.  Faribault,  1804  and  later,  was  soon  killed  at  mouth  of  St.  Mary's 
r,,  near  Drummond  isl.,  in  a  duel  with  one  Crawford,  brother  of  one  Crawford 
of  the  N.  W.  Co.  This  case  is  a  typical  illustration  of  the  difficulty  experienced 
in  sifting  fur-trade  annals  for  the  identification  of  personal  names,  so  seldom  arc- 
they  given  in  full.  One  clew,  good  as  far  as  it  goes,  is  found  in  the  fact  that 
persons  of  the  grade  of  clerk  and  upward  were  "gentlemen,"  generally  '*  mis- 
tered" in  speaking  and  writing,  all  the  others  being  "men,"  to  whon  no  form 
of  address  or  title  was  applicable,  as  a  rule.  Scotch  names  are  genenlly  of  the 
highest  class,  but  often  also  attach  to  htdf-breeds ;  amount  of  wages  is  some- 
times a  useful  indication. 


FORT  WILLIAM— RODERIC    M'KENZIE. 


223 


everything  complete  and  in  good  order  before  our  arrival 
next  year.  Mr.  R.  McKenzie**  has  charge  during  the 
absence  of  the  agents. 

'*  Implying  Roderic  McKenzie,  of  which  identical  name  were  two  persons. 
One  Roderick  McKenzie  was  still  a  clerk  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  after  the  fusion  of 
1804,  in  the  Nepigon  district,  and  wintered  1807-08  at  Fori.  Duncan,  on  Lake 
Nepigon.     The  early  life  of  the  other  may  be  outlined  as  follows : 

Not  only  among  the  many  McKenzies  or  Mackenzies  who  were  in  the  fur- 
trade,  but  also  among  all  the  persons  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  and  other  organizations 
apart  from  the  H.  B.  Co.,  the  name  of  Roderic  or  Roderick  stands  out  with  a 
prominence  second  only  to  that  of  his  famous  cousin.  Sir  Alexander.  He  came 
from  Scotland  to  Canada  in  1784,  and  was  apprenticed  for  three  years  as  clerk 
to  Gregory,  McTavish  &  Co.  He  left  St.  Anne  for  Grand  Portage  in  the 
summer  of  1785,  and  was  again  at  the  latter  place  in  the  summer  of  1786.  He 
went  with  his  cousin  to  English  r.  this  year,  and  is  found  at  Lac  des  Serpents, 
Isle  k  la  Crosse,  etc.,  1786-87,  He  built  old  Fort  Chipewyan  on  Lake  Atha- 
basca, in  the  fall  of  1788 ;  came  in,  1789 ;  returned  to  winter  there  1789-90, 
and  remained  in  charge  of  that  post  when  Sir  Alexander  left  it  en  route  to  the 
Pacific,  Oct.  lOth,  1793.  He  appears  to  have  stayed  out  continuously  for  eight 
years  of  which  I  have  made  no  memoranda;  for  he  was  in  Canada  in  1797, 
"  after  a  long  absence."  Thompson  met  him  on  the  Missinipi  June  13th,  1797, 
en  route  for  Grand  Portage,  and  this  was  the  year  in  which  he,  first  of  the  North- 
men, reached  that  place  from  Lac  la  Croix  by  the  "new"  (old  French)  Kam- 
inistiquia  route,  thus  re-opening  a  long-abandoned  and  half-forgotten  way. 
Thompson,  July  22d,  1797,  speaks  of  him  as  at  Grand  Portage  that  dny,  and 
names  him  as  agent  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  "for  Montreal "  (McTavish,  Irobisher 
&Co.).  He  came  to  Grand  Portage  again  July  ist.  1798.  left  July  loth  for  the 
Athabasca  region,  was  found  about  Isle  A  la  Crosse  that  fall,  and  wintered  there 
1798-99.  He  came  in  again  in  1799,  ^^^  y^^^  ^°  critical  in  the  history  of 
the  N.  W.  Co.,  when  the  rivalry  between  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie  and 
Simon  McTavish  culminated  in  the  withdrawal  of  the  former,  amidst  angry 
dissensions  at  Grand  Portage  between  the  wintering  bourgeois  and  the  agents 
of  the  company,  during  the  summer  of  1799  ;  Roderic  took  Sir  Alexander's 
place,  and  thus  became  an  agent:  see  Masson,  I.  p.  72.  Sir  Alexander  went 
to  England,  published  his  work,  received  his  title,  and  returned  in  1801,  to 
become  the  head  of  the  "  New  N.  W.  Co.,"  also  known  as  "  Sir  Alexander 
Mackenzie  &  Co.,"  but  still  better  as  the  "  X.  Y.  Co.,"  and  also  styled 
in  derision  the  "  Little  Company"  (whence  probably  the  nickname  "  Potties," 
by  Indian  corruption  of  F.  Les  Petits,  "Little  Ones").  Roderic  went  to 
Montreal  soon,  for  he  was  en  route  thence  to  Grand  Portage  in  May,  1800. 
He  is  found  on  the  Karninistiquia  route  in  Aug.,  1804,  and  his  name  appears 
among  the  signatu.-es  of  the  Montreal  agreement  of  Nov.  5th,  1804,  which 
finished  the  X.  Y.  Co.  by  absorption  into  the  N,  W.  Co.  See  further.  Remi- 
niscences of  Hon.  Roderic  McKenzie,  etc.,  extending  to  1829,  in  Masson,  I. 
pp.  7-66,  pub.  (889. 


iill 


CHAPTER  VI. 


li 


THE  PEMBINA  RIVER  POST,   CONTINUED  :    1803-O4. 

rRIDAY,  July  29th,  1803.  I  left  Kamanistiquia  with 
my  brigade  of  eight  canoes,  26  pieces  per  canoe,  two 
less  than  by  the  Grand  Portage  route. 

Aug.  25th.    Arrived  at  Lac  la  Pluie. 

Sept.  20th.  After  a  long  tedious  passage  we  arrived  at 
the  Forks  [Winnipeg].  We  were  10  days  in  getting  through 
Lake  Winipic,  as  it  blew  a  gale.  Our  stock  of  corn  gave 
out  at  Portage  de  I'lsle  [on  Winnipeg  river],  and  the  men 
were  starving,  with  nothing  to  eat  but  a  little  flour;  here 
we  found  abundance  of  dried  meat.  I  sent  some  Indians 
hunting  moose,  red  deer,  and  bear,'  of  which  there  is  an 
abundance.  Others  were  drinking ;  Mithanasconce  was  so 
troublesome  that  we  were  obliged  to  tie  him  with  ropes  to 
prevent  his  doing  mischief.  He  was  stabbed  in  the  back 
in  three  different  places  about  a  month  ago.  His  wounds 
were  still  open,  and  had  an  ugly  appearance ;  in  his  strug- 
gling to  get  loose  they  burst  out  afresh  and  bled  a  great 
deal.  We  had  much  trouble  to  stop  the  blood,  as  the 
fellow  was  insensible  to  pain  or  danger ;  his  only  aim  was 
to  bite  us.  We  had  some  narrow  escapes,  until  we  secured 
his  mouth,  and  then  he  fell  asleep. 

Sept.  22d.  Men  repairing  canoes  and  boats,  others  fishing ; 
caught  some  catfish  that  weighed  upward  of  20  pounds.  I 
sent  a  hunter  to  Petite  Montagne  de  Roche,  who  returned 
with  the  meat  of  four  cows.  The  leaves  are  nearly  all 
fallen,  and  wild  fowl  returning  southward.  Made  out  the 
assortment  of  goods  for  Portage  la  Prairie  and  Lake  Mani- 
thoubane,  gave  every  necessary  direction  concerning  that 
quarter  to  Mr.  Harrison,  and  sent  them  off. 

»»4 


THE  RETURN  TO   PEMBINA. 


22$ 


Sept.  2yth.  I  made  up  an  assortment  of  goods  for  this 
place,  where  I  leave  Mr.  [Louis]  Dorion,  and  another  for 
Rivi6re  aux  Morts,  where  I  send  Mr.  T.  Veiandre  [Toussaint 
Vaudry].  Having  settled  th:se  matters  in  a  manner  to 
avoid  going  to  Portage  ia  Prairie  this  fall  as  usual,  I 
started  my  canoes  for  Panbian  river,  and  proceeded  by 
land  on  horseback,  with  three  men.  2yth  \bis\.  Early  in 
the  morning  we  arrived  ;  myself  very  unwell — could  scarcely 
keep  my  saddle.  Found  my  new  house  nearly  finished. 
Indians  camped  at  the  fort,  awaiting  my  arrival — 60  men. 
Buffalo  in  abundance.  28th.  I  gave  the  Indians  their  usual 
presents  of  liquor  and  tobacco,  equipped  summer  men,  and 
made  out  assortments  for  the  outposts.  30th.  Indian 
women  and  children  stealing  potatoes;  obliged  to  set  a 
watch  day  and  night. 

Oct.  ist.  Mr.  Cameron  off  with  a  boat  in  pursuit  of  the 
X.  Y.  Ducharme  up  the  river.  Fire  in  the  plains  in  every 
direction.  Indians  decamping,  but  many  of  them  sick, 
with  bad  coughc.  It  seems  to  be  a  very  prevalent  disease 
at  this  time ;  all  ages  and  sexes  are  attacked.  As  for 
myself  I  can  hardly  crawl  about  to  attend  to  my  afTairs, 
so  much  indisposed  am  I  by  that  disorder.  We  set  a 
night-line  for  catfish,  of  which  we  take  40  a  day ;  they  are 
excellent  eating.  The  fleas  plague  us  very  much,  and 
prevent  sleep ;  the  great  number  of  dogs  at  the  fort 
increases  these  troublesome  vermin. 

Oct.  3d.  Mr.  Langlois  and  others  started  for  the  Hair 
hills.  This  caravan  demands  notice,  to  show  the  vast  dif- 
ference it  makes  in  a  place  where  horses  are  introduced. 
It  is  true  they  are  useful  animals,  but  if  there  were  not  one 
in  all  the  North  West,  we  should  have  less  trouble  and 
expense.  Our  men  would  neither  be  so  burdened  with 
families,  nor  so  indolent  and  insolent  as  they  are,  and  the 
natives  in  general  would  be  more  honest  and  industrious. 
Let  an  impartial  eye  look  into  the  affair,  to  discover  whence 
originates  the  unbounded  extravagance  of  our  meadow 
gentry,  both  white  and  native,  and  horses  will  be  found  one 


226 


A   I'lCTURESQUE    PROCESSION. 


!     i\ 


II 


t 


of  the  principal  causes.  Let  us  view  the  bustle  and  noise 
which  attended  the  transportation  of  five  pieces  of  goods  to 
a  place  vvhere  the  houses  were  built  in  1801-02.  The  men 
were  up  at  break  of  day  and  their  horses  tackled  long  before 
sunrise  ;  but  they  were  not  ready  to  move  before  ten  o'clock, 
when  I  had  the  curiosity  to  climb  on  top  of  my  house  to 
watch  their  motions  and  observe  their  order  of  march. 

Antoine  Payet,  guide  and  second  in  command,  leads  the 
van,  with  a  cart  drawn  by  two  horses  and  loaded  with  his 
private  baggage,  cassetetes,'  bags,  kettles,  and  mashquc- 
minctcs  [?].  Madame  Payet  follows  the  cart  with  a  child  a 
year  old  on  her  back,  very  merry.  Charles  Bottineau,*  with 
two  horses  and  a  cart  loaded  with  i  ^  packs,  his  own  bag- 
gage, and  two  young  children  with  kettles  and  other  trash 
hanging  on  to  it.  Madame  Bottineau  with  a  squalling  infant 
on  her  back,  scolding  and  tossing  it  about.  Joseph  Dubord 
goes  on  foot,  with  his  long  pipe-stem  and  calumet  in  his 
hand  ;  Madame  l^ubord  follows  on  foot,  carrying  his  tobacco 
pouch  with  a  broad  bead  tail.  Antoine  Thellier,*with  a  cart 
and  two  horses,  loaded  with  i  }4  packs  of  goods  and  Dubois' 
baggage.  Antoine  La  Pointe*  with  another  cart  and 
horses,  loaded  with  two  pieces  of  goods  and  with  baggage 
belonging  to  Brisebois,  Jasmin,  and  Pouliot,  and  a  kettle 
hung  on  each  side.     Auguste  Brisebois  *  follows  with  only 

'  Cassetlte  is  good  French  for  tomahawk,  literally  something  to  break  a  head 
with,  and  may  be  intended  here ;  npy  so  reads  plainly.  But  F.  cassette,  cas- 
ket, was  the  usual  word  wich  the  voyageurs  for  any  sort  of  a  box  in  which  they 
crrried  small  articles,  as  distinguished  from  ihe  large  packs,  sacks,  bales,  or 
other  "pieces"  of  "h  most  of  their  loads  consisted.  The  curious  word 
which  follows  kettlf  nnot  make  out.  For  Payet  or  Paget,  see  note  •,  p.  204. 

'Name  reappear lu  MS.  and  print  as  Rattineau,  Battimeau,  and  liottureau. 
Charles  is  listed  as  ,!^  jeur  N.  W.  Co.,  Lower  Red  r.,  1804,  and  we  shall  find 
him  with  Heiiry  to  ic.08. 

*  Plainly  so  in  copy  ;  n  :  other  record  noted. 

*  Antoine  Lapointe,  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  remains  with  Henry  to  1808  ;  he 
had  been  about  15  years  in  this  country  in  Oct.,  1818,  when  he  was  in  Toronto 
as  a  witness  in  the  Semple  case. — Joseph  Lapointe  is  listed  voyageur  N.  W. 
Co.,  Fort  Dauphin,  1804. — Michel  Lapointe,  listed,  Nepigon,  1804. 

*  Auguste  Brisebois  appears  in  print  i\^  Angus,  evidently  by  mistaking  the 


henry's  pilgrims'  progress. 


227 


his  gun  on  his  shoulder  and  a  fresh-lighted  pipe  in  his 
mouth.  Michel  Jasmin*  goe&  next,  like  Brisebois,  with  gun 
and  pipe  puffing  out  clouds  of  smoke.  Nicolas  Pouliot, 
the  greatest  smoker  in  the  North  West,  has  nothing  but 
pipe  and  pouch.  Those  three  fellows,  having  taken  a 
farewell  dram  and  lighted  fresh  pipes,  go  on  brisk  and 
merry,  playing  numerous  pranks.  Domin  Livernois,^  with  a 
young  mare,  the  property  of  Mr.  Langlois,  loaded  with 
weeds  for  smoking,  an  old  worsted  bag  (madame's  prop- 
erty), some  squashes  and  potatoes,  a  small  keg  of  fresh 
water,  and  two  young  whelps  howling.  Next  goes  Liv- 
ernois'  young  horse,  drawing  a  travaille  loaded  with  his 
baggage  and  a  large  worsted  mashgueincate  [?]  belonging 
to  Madame  Langlois.  Next  appears  Madame  [John]  Cam- 
eron's mare,  kicking,  rearing,  and  snorting,  hauling  a  travaille 
loaded  with  a  bag  of  flour,  cabbages,  turnips,  onions,  a 
small  keg  of  water,  and  a  large  kettle  of  broth.  Michel 
Langlois,  who  is  master  of  the  band,  now  comes  on  leading 
a  horse  that  draws  a  travaille  nicely  covered  with  a  new 
painted  tent,  under  which  his  daughter  and  Mrs.  Can^eron 
lie  at  full  length,  very  sick  ;  thi j  covering  or  canopy  has  a 
pretty  eiTect  in  the  caravan,  and  appears  at  a  great  distance 
in  the  plains.  Madame  Langlois  brings  up  the  rear  of  the 
human  beings,  following  the  travaille  with  a  slow  step  and 
melancholy  air,  attending  to  the  wants  of  her  daughter, 
who,  notwithstanding  her  sickness,  can  find  no  other  expres- 
sions of  gratitude  to  her  parents  than  by  calling  them  dogs, 
fools,  beasts,  etc.  The  rear  guard  consists  of  a  long  train 
of  20  dogs,  some  for  sleighs,  some  for  game,  and  others  of 
no  use  whatever,  except  to  snarl  and  destroy  meat.    The 


abbreviation  "Aug."  for  "  Ang."  He  remains  with  Henry  to  1808. — Joseph 
Brisebois  was  guide  N.  W.  Co.,  Upper  Redr.,  1804. — Michel  Brii^bois,  one 
of  t'  i  oldest  inhabitants  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  was  made  a  judge  by  Lewis  Cass, 
May  I2th,  1819    died  1839. 

'  Michel  Jasmin,  sometimes  Jesmin,  voyageur  N.  W.  Co. :  no  record  be- 
yond 1804. 

^  Dominic  or  Dominique  Livernois :  no  further  record. 


228 


PRAIRIE   FIRE— AGRICULTURAL  REPORT. 


, 


total  forms  a  procession  nearly  a  mile  long,  and  appears 
like  a  la^ge  band  of  Assiniboines. 

Oct.  ifik.  Fire  is  raging  at  every  point  of  the  compass ; 
thick  clouds  of  smoke  nearly  deprive  us  of  the  sight  of  the 
sun,  and  at  night  the  view  from  the  top  of  my  house  is  aw- 
ful indeed.  In  every  direction  are  flames,  some  leaping  to 
a  prodigious  height  as  the  fire  rushes  through  willows  and 
long  grass,  or  low  places  covered  with  reeds  and  rushes. 
We  apprehended  no  danger,  as  the  fire  had  already  passed 
near  the  fort.  On  the  6th  two  men  returned  with  the 
body  of  Mrs.  Cameron,  who  died  yesterday  at  the  Grand 
Passage,  gth.  We  buried  the  corpse.  12th.  We  had 
fro:.'t.  I  took  up  my  quarters  in  my  new  house,  which 
was  finished.  Collected  garden  seeds,  of  which  I  have  a 
great  quantity. 

Oct.  i6th.  Hesse  ^  and  his  woman  arrived  in  a  small 
canoe  from  Red  lake.  lyth.  Snow.  I  took  my  vege- 
tables up — 300  large  heads  of  cabbage,  8  bushels  of  carrots, 
16  bushels  of  onions,  10  bushels  of  turnips,  some  beets, 
parsnips,  etc.  20th.  I  took  in  my  potatoes — 420  bushels, 
the  produce  of  7  bushels,  exclusive  of  the  quantity  we  have 
roasted  since  our  arrival,  and  what  the  Indians  have  stolen, 
which  must  be  at  least  200  bushels  more.  I  measured  an 
onion,  22  inches  in  circumference;  a  carrot,  18  inches  long, 
and,  at  the  thick  end,  14  inches  in  circumference ;  a  turnip 
with  its  leaves  weighed  25  pounds,  and  the  leaves  alone 
weighed  15  pounds.  The  common  weight  is  from  9  to  12 
pounds,  without  the  leaves.  22d.  The  blacksmith  making 
coals. 

Oct.  2ph.  I  went  to  the  Hair  hills  on  horseback  to  meet 
the  Assiniboines  and  Crees.  Indians  all  sick  with  coughs, 
and  some  at  the  point  of  death,  which  prevents  all  hunting. 
Livernois  had  exchanged  his  mare  for  a  young  wife,  about 
eight  [j/V]  years  of  age ;  it  is  common  in  the  North  West  to 
give  a  horse   for  a  woman.     On   my  return   I  killed   five 

*  Charles  Hesse,  clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  appears  at  Grand  Portage  in  1799,  and  as 
such  with  Henry,  Lower  Red  r.,  1803-04. 


h 


rat's  liver— visiting  outposts. 


339 


as 


bulls.  The  plains  are  burned  almost  everywhere;  only  a 
few  small  spots  have  escaped  the  fury  of  the  flames. 

Oct.  jist.  Foie  de  Rat  [Rat's  Liver*]  and  some  other 
troublesome  Indians  are  camped  at  the  fort,  drinking  daily. 
Great  fires  appear  to  the  S.  W.  and  W.,  at  some  distance. 
A  canoe  arrived  from  above ;  Mr.  Cameron  sent  me  a  corpse 
to  bury — one  of  our  principal  Indian's  children.  Men 
begin  to  cut  their  stock  of  winter  firewood. 

Nov.  2d.  Rain  and  snow ;  swans  and  geese  passing  S. 
in  abundance,  jd.  I  set  off  on  horseback  to  go  up  and 
see  Mr.  Cameron,  who  was  building  at  Rividre  aux  Marais 
[present  Snake  river,  Minn.],  near  Park  river.  I  arrived  at 
sunset ;  found  him  doing  nothing.  I  set  off  on  the  5th  to 
visit  his  Indians  at  the  Hair  hills.  Lagass6  was  my  guide  ; 
both  of  us  on  horseback.  We  slept  on  the  hills,  but  could 
find  no  Indians.  Very  cold ;  we  had  no  blankets,  nor  any 
covering  but  our  capots,  as  we  had  expected  to  get  to  the 
tent  to-da}',  where  Cadotte  was  with  merchandise. 

Nov.  6th.  A  strong  north  wind,  with  a  heavy  fall  of  snow. 
We  searched  for  the  Indians,  but  to  no  purpose;  wandered 
about  in  the  storm,  and  could  find  no  tracks.  We  saw  sev- 
eral bands  of  red  deer.  Having  not  a  mouthful  to  eat,  I 
chased  them,  but  the  blusterous  weather  prevented  my  kill- 
ing any.  The  ground  on  the  declivity  of  the  mountain 
where  I  ran  them  was  rough,  stony,  boggy,  and  under- 
brushed.  We  at  last  found  ourselves  entangled  in  a 
thick  wood  on  the  top  of  the  hills,  and  neither  Lagass6  nor 
myself  knew  where  we  were ;  the  storm  continued  with  great 
violence.  We  saw  the  tracks  of  a  large  bear  in  the  snow. 
After  wandering  for  some  time  in  the  thick  wood,  leading 

*  Tanner,  p.  115,  has:  "an  old  man,  called  O-zhusk-koO'koon,  (the  musk- 
rat's  liver.)  a  chief  of  the  Me-tai,  came  t>  my  'odge,  bringing  a  young  woman, 
his  grand-daughter,  together  with  the  girl's  parents.  This  was  a  handsome 
young  girl,  not  more  than  15  years  old ;  but  Netnokwa  did  not  think  favour- 
ably of  her."  So  Tanner's  mother  advised  him  to  be  off.  "  I  did  so,"  he 
adds,  "and  O-zhusk-koo-koon  apparently  relinquished  the  hope  of  marrying 
me  to  his  grand-daughter."  The  Me-tai  here  said  was  not  a  tribe  of  Indians, 
but  a  certain  religious  ceremony  which  Rat's  Liver  conducted. 


230 


TROUBLE  ON   THIS  TRIP. 


our  horses  by  the  bridle,  and  clearing  the  road  for  them, 
we  came  to  a  small  river  with  very  high  banks,  covered 
with  strong  wood  and  huge  stones;  its  course  made  me 
suspect  it  to  be  the  principal  branch  of  Tongue  river.  We 
therefore  determined  to  follow  it  down  to  the  plains  ;  and, 
since  we  had  failed  to  find  Lidians,  to  return  to  Pi'.nbian 
river  as  best  we  could.  We  had  much  trouble  in  working 
our  way  down  stream,  being  obliged  to  cross  it  often, 
ascending  and  desc  ding  *'  <  s.  eep  banks,  at  the  risk  of 
breaking  our  legs.  VVh^n  .  j  iVusid  ourselves  in  the  open 
plain,  the  violence  of  he  iito  n  prevented  us  from  seeing 
many  yards  ahead.  Wt.  ;  pi  aicg  the  foot  of  the  hills  as 
nearly  as  we  could ;  and,  happens..^  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the 
sun,  found  we  were  on  the  right  course,  about  N.  E.  We 
saw  several  herds  of  bufYalo,  but  our  anxiety  made  us  for- 
get our  hunger.  In  the  afternoon  the  storm  ceased.  We 
saw  on  our  left  the  mountain,  and  on  our  right  the  plain ; 
but  neither  of  us  had  ever  passed  here  before.  We  came 
to  a  small  creek,  and  attempted  to  cross  our  horses  on  the 
ice,  but  they  fell  in,  and  we  had  much  trouble  to  pull  them 
out ;  one  got  his  lej;  cut  by  the  ice.  Night  coming  on,  we 
stopped  on  a  small  island  of  dry  poplars,  and  made  a  fire. 
The  north  wind  was  piercingly  cold,  and  we  could  make  no 
shelter ;  we  had  neither  ax  nor  blanket,  nothing  to  eat,  and 
not  a  drop  of  water.  We  passed  a  miserable  night,  turning 
about  every  moment  to  warm  ourselves,  and  quenching  our 
thirst  with  snow.  Daylight  was  welcome,  as  the  storm  had 
recommenced  and  we  were  covered  with  snow.  We  saddled 
and  set  out,  wind  N.  E.,  directly  ahead.  At  ten  o'clock 
the  weather  cleared  up  for  a  few  moments,  when  I  per- 
ceived Big  island  of  Tongue  river,  a  place  where  I  had 
already  been  to  chase  buiTalo.  This  revived  our  spirits ; 
and  we  hurried  to  reach  it  as  fast  as  possible ;  but  the  storm 
came  on  with  greater  violence,  and  we  were  a  long  time  in 
reaching  Tongue  river,  at  the  Elbow,  where  it  begins  to  run 
E.  [vicinity  of  Bathgate,  Pembina  Co.,  N.  Dak.].  We  now 
had  a  side  wind,  and  c.i:nc  on  more  at  our  ease,  keeping 


AMENITIES  AND  ASPERITIES. 


23» 


under  the  lee  of  the  woods ;  but  it  was  excessively  cold. 
We  could  not  remain  on  horseback  for  any  time,  but  were 
obliged  to  get  off  and  run  to  warm  ourselves.  At  four 
o'clock  we  arrived  at  my  fort ;  we  had  much  trouble  get- 
ting our  horses  over,  as  the  ice  was  drifting  in  great  bodies. 
A  good  cup  of  tea  was  welcome,  and  put  all  to  rights ;  my 
man  got  also  a  hearty  glass  of  high  wine ;  he  was  as 
happy  as  if  he  had  drawn  the  ;^20,0(X)  prize.  X.  Y.  J. 
Desford  "  had  threatened  to  kill  my  servant  [Pierre  Bonza] 
in  my  absence,  but  did  not  escape  without  a  sound  beating. 

Nov.  8th.  Exceedingly  cold  weather ;  Red  river  frozen 
over,  and  we  crossed  on  the  ice.  Continual  derouines  to 
the  Indian  tents,  for  little  or  nothing — sometimes  not  ev  •, 
one  skin,  and  always  liquor  expected. 

Nov.  i$th.  A  great  fire  to  the  S.  W.,  although  :  i* 
ground  is  covered  .vith  snow.  /8e/t.  I  was  sick  v"  >  ^ 
pain  in  the  back  and  side ;  could  scarcely  crawl  abou  . 
rubbed  the  parts  with  camphorated  spirits  and  'varm 
flannel,  which  gave  relief.  We  have  but  few  lr>flAo' 
toward  Plumb  river.  X.  Y.  starving.  2^t/i.  I  gave  Little 
Shell,  a  troublesome  drunken  Indian,  I20  drops  of  lauda- 
num in  high  mne,  but  it  had  no  effect  in  putting  him  td 
sleep ;  he  took  it  in  doses  of  20  drops  in  the  course  of 
an  hour.  A  young  Maskegan  stabbed  Capot  Rouge 
with  a  knife  in  the  back.  26tA.  An  Indian  arrived  from 
above,  a  Sioux  having  killed  Ondainoiache  and  two  other 
Saulteurs  who  were  working  beaver  on  Folle  Avoine  river. 
This  was  one  of  the  fellows  who  assisted  Little  Shell  to 
murder  the  old  woman  at  the  hills.  Charles  Hesse  cut  an 
ugly  gash  in  his  woman's  head  with  a  cutlass  this  morning, 
through  jealousy,  jotk.  Much  plagued  with  my  hunter, 
Joseph  Cyr.  Those  freemen  are  a  nuisance  in  the  country, 
and  generally  scoundrels;  I  never  yet  found  one  honest 
man  amongst  them. 

'•So  copy,  meaning  J.  Duford,  of  X.  Y.  Co.;  of  N.  W.  Co.  after  the 
coalition  of  1804  ;  shot  by  an  Indian  at  Pembina,  3  a.  m.,  Oct.  3Xst,  1C05;  d.  a 
p.  m. ,  next  day  ;  see  these  dates,  beyond. 


I 


232 


FIRE   IN   CAMP— PEMMICAN— ANOTHER  TRIP. 


Dtc.  1st.  I  set  two  small  nets  under  the  ice  at  the 
entrance  of  Panbian  river.  4th.  An  Indian  tent  of  five 
families  took  fire ;  it  was  burned  to  the  ground  and  every- 
thing consumed.  They  had  just  taken  debts  to  the  amount 
of  nearly  200  skins.  The  powder  was  saved,  but  never  one 
skin  of  thr  goods"  will  be  paid  by  them.  We  now  were 
obliged  to  eat  pemmican.  I  had  a  few  bags  remaining 
from  last  spring,  which  had  been  lying  all  summer  in  a 
heap  covered  with  a  leathern  tent,  and  never  had  been 
stirred  or  turned,  in  a  damp  storehouse.  I  was  apprehen- 
sive it  was  spoiled,  from  the  complaints  made  by  my  friends 
about  the  bad  quality  of  the  Lower  Red  river  pemmican, 
but  was  surprised  to  find  every  hag  excellent.  This  was 
clear  proof  to  me  that  the  bad  pemmican  must  have  come 
from  another  quarter — I  suspect  Portage  la  Prairie,  as  I  am 
confident  my  method  of  mixing  and  preparing  it  is  good. 
My  men  having  finished  cutting  our  stock  of  winter  fire- 
wood on  the  5th,  began  to  L\xt  3,(X}0  stockades,  eight  feet  in 
length,  to  inclose  my  potato-field.  loth.  As  an  Indian 
was  firing  his  gun  to-day  she  burst  and  shattered  his  left 
hand  in  a  shocking  manner.  We  have  nothing  but 
tough  and  lean  bulls  to  eat,  and  the  X.  Y.  not  even  that. 
lyth.  I  shot  a  shelldrake  in  the  small  pond  in  the  river 
that  was  still  open.  Maymiutch  shot  at  Mr.  Langlois,  at 
the  hills ;  the  ball  stuck  in  the  house  between  two  women, 
his  own  niece  and  Payet's  woman.  21st.  Lac  la  Pluie 
Indians  arrived  for  men  to  go  en  derouine.  2jd.  Cows 
begin  to  appear,  but  the  great  scarcity  of  grass  keeps 
them  always  on  the  walk  in  search  of   food. 

Dec.  24.th.  I  set  out  early  on  horseback  and  with  a  cari- 
ole,  and  Lambert  also  in  the  same  manner,  on  a  visit  to 
Mr.  Cotton'*  at  [the  confluence  of?]  Riviere  aux  Liards 
with  Riviere  du  Lac  Rouge,  that  establishment  being  under 


I*  That  is,  the  value  of  one  of  the  aoo  beaver  skins  for  which  these  five 
families  were  in  debt  for  goocfs  received  by  thent  on  credit. 

'*  Mr.  Cotton  had  come  into  the  country  recently,  and  was  at  Fond  du  Lac 
Sup^rieur  in  1805.     I  have  not  identified  Henry's  R.  aux  Liards  satisfactorily ; 


Ji 


VISITING  CAMERON'S  AND  COTTON'S   I'OSTS.  233 


s 


my  direction  this  year.  I  arrived  at  Mr.  Cameron's  ;  as  he 
was  unwell,  I  wished  him  to  hire  me  an  Indian  guide,  but 
he  preferred  to  accompany  me,  having  already  been  there. 
Sunday,  Christtnas,  Dec.  2$th.  We  remained.  a6th.  I 
set  out  on  horseback  with  Mr.  Lambert  and  Lagass^.  Mr. 
Cameron  used  my  cariole,  being  too  much  indisposed  to 
ride  on  horseback.  At  nine  o'clock,  as  we  found  scarcely 
any  snow,  Mr.  Cameron  was  obliged  to  mount  a  horse  and 
ride.  We  camped  at  Bear  island,  on  Riviere  aux  Marais, 
where  we  put  the  cariole  en  cache,  there  not  being  snow 
sufficient.  2jth.  At  dusk  we  arrived  at  Cotton's  house — a 
good  day's  ride;  found  him  surrounded  with  his  Indians, 
all  idle.  X.  Y.  J.  Stit'*  opposes  him — the  filthiest  house 
and  wife  I  ever  saw.  Mr.  Cameron's  illness  increased,  and 
on  coming  out  of  the  house  he  vomited  for  some  time ; 
indeed  I  felt  inclined  to  do  the  same  myself.  28th. 
Cotton's  men  arrived  from  derouines,  each  with  a  pack  of 
furs  on  his  back  and  some  fresh  fallow  deer  meat.  The 
men  use  neither  horses  nor  dogs  to  perform  their  duty,  all 
being  carried  with  slings  on  their  backs;  they  have  hard 
work  of  it,  but  do  not  murmur  or  complain  like  our 
meadow  gentry.  Settled  with  two  men  anc*  Lallonde  '*  to 
pass  the  summer  at  Red  lake  and  build  a  fort  there,  zgth. 
Mr.  Cameron's  illness  prevented  our  departure.  30th.  My 
affairs  would  not  permit  me  to  remain  any  longer,  though 
I  vas  unwilling  to  leave  Mr.  Cameron  behind  us.  There 
was  not  enough  snow  for  a  train,  and  he  was  unable  to  ride 
on  horseback;  he  complained  of  a  pain  in  the  breast,  wUh  a 
bad  cough  and  want  of  appetite ;  still  he  looked  well  in  the 
face,  though  lean  in   body.     I  certainly  did  not  suppose 

it  seems  to  have  been  a  branch  of  Red  Lake  r. ,  possibly  the  Clearwater  itself, 
though  Henry  uses  the  .latter  name. 

"  Copy  elsewhere  J.  Stitt.  This  is  no  doubt  John  Still,  who  became  a  clerk 
of  the  N.  W.  Co.  after  the  fusion  of  1804,  and  was  in  the  Nepigon  district. 

'*  A  surname  which  varies  in  MS.  and  print  to  Lalonde,  La  Londe,  and  La 
Lande.  One  of  this  name,  a  middle-aged  man  in  1785,  was  a  guide  in  the 
service  of  Gregory,  McLeod  &  Co. — Jean  Baptiste  Lalonde  appears  as  voy- 
ageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Fort  Dauphin,  1804. 


334 


CAMERON   DYING — TIIK   DUCIIARMES. 


him  in  any  danger  until,  after  breakfasting  with  him,  on 
bidding  him  adieu  the  tears  started  in  his  eyes.  I  proposed 
to  delay  my  departure,  if  he  thought  I  could  be  of  any 
service,  but  he  urged  me  to  set  off  without  him,  as  he  knew 
that  my  affairs  required  me  to  return  ;  he  said  he  hoped  to 
be  able  to  follow  me  in  a  few  days.  I  left  him  Lagass^  and 
two  horses,  and  desired  Cotton  to  get  a  sleigh  made  for 
him,  that  he  might  come  on  the  first  fall  of  snow.  Poor 
fellow !  We  parted  never  to  meet  again  in  this  world.  I 
overtook  two  men  I  had  sent  ahead  on  foot,  and  X.  Y.  Stit, 
who  was  going  to  X.  Y.  Ducharme.'*  We  stopped  at  our 
old  encampment,  jist.  Before  daybreak  we  were  off  in 
the  dark ;  got  lost,  and  did  not  find  our  way  until  daylight. 
At  twelve  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Riviere  aux  Marais,  the 
men  on  foot ;  Stitt  with  his  two  men  arrived  late  in  the 
afternoon,  very  much  fatigued.  Met  an  express  with 
letters  from  the  northward.  It  will  be  necessary  for  me  to 
make  a  trip  as  soon  as  possible  to  all  my  other  outposts. 
Sunday,  Jan.  ist,  1804.     A  dull  and  gloomy  New  Year's 

'*  Ducharme  is  >n  old  and  numerously  represented  name  in  Canadian  history, 
in  and  out  of  the  fur-trade.  Jean  Marie  Ducharme,  b.  ea.  1733,  was  living  at 
Lachine  near  Montreal  on  the  invasion  of  1775-76  ;  became  a  trader  at  Mic'iili- 
mackinac  and  elsewhere;  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  disturbances  of.  178IP, 
"I'ann^e  du  grand  coup";  returned  to  Lachine  ra.  1800;  became  blind,  and 
d.  there  fd.  1803:  biogr.  in  Tass^,  I.  pp.  34i-3SO-  He  had  a  brother  Domi- 
nique, a  cousin  Laurent,  and  three  sons,  Joseph,  Dominique,  and  Paul. 
Dominique  ist  was  associated  with  his  brother  in  various  enterprises.  Dom- 
inique 3d  became  a  trader,  was  Indian  agent  at  Lac  des  Deux  Montagncs,  and 
took  part  in  the  war  of  :8i3  :  see  Tasse,  I.  p.  355.  Joseph  was  also  a  trader. 
Laurent  Ducharme  is  historical.  He  witnessed  the  Michilimackinac  massacre, 
June  4th,  1763,  of  which  he  had  warned  Major  Etherington  unavailingly  ;  and 
had  a  trading  house  on  Milwaukee  r.  in  1777.  In  1857  Paul  Ducharme  was 
ca.  87  years  old,  and  had  been  at  Baie  Verte  over  60  :  Tasse,  I.  p.  356. — For 
others  of  the  same  name  but  different  families :  One  Ducharme  was  with 
Thompson  on  the  Saskatchewan  in  June,  1800. — Antoine  Ducharme  appears  as 
voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Fort  Dauphin,  1804. — Nicholas  Ducharme,  guide  N.  W. 
Co.  in  1804,  Fort  Dauphin,  was  a  witness  in  the  Semple  case  at  Toronto,  Oct. 
l8t8. — Pierre  Ducharme  is  listed  as  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Upper  Red  r.,  1804, 
and  may  or  may  not  be  same  as  the  Pierre  £tienne  Ducharme  who  was  on  the 
Assiniboine  in  1794. 


CAMERON   DEAD— EXPENSIVE   FORNICATION. 


235 


Day.  I  gave  charge  of  the  place  to  Cadotte  until  Mr. 
Cameron  should  return.  2d.  Before  daybreak  I  set  off 
with  my  horse  and  cariole,  and  at  four  o'clock  reached  my 
fort;  Cotton's  two  men  arrived  in  the  evening.  I  found 
two  men  awaiting  my  arrival  for  a  supply  of  goods  for 
Portage  la  Prairie. 

Jan,  6th.  Lagassd  arrived  from  Riviere  aux  Liards  with 
news  of  Mr.  Cameron's  death  ;  he  expired  on  the  3d  inst.  at 
7  p.  m.  As  he  was  sitting  on  a  stool,  he  fell  on  his  face 
upon  the  floor,  and  died  instantly,  without  uttering  one 
word.  yth.  Long  before  day  I  was  on  the  way  up  to  Ri- 
\\kx-.  aux  Marais.  The  cold  was  very  severe,  and  weather 
blusterous.  Two  of  my  men  had  their  faces  badly  frozen. 
My  sleigh  and  dogs  were  of  no  use,  the  cold  being  too 
severe  to  ride  ;  I  was  obliged  to  walk  and  run  to  keep 
from  freezing  to  death.  I  got  there  at  two  o'clock.  On 
the  8th  I  dispatched  three  men  with  a  train  and  six 
dogs  for  the  corpse,  gth.  I  took  an  inventory  of  the 
property,  both  of  the  company  and  of  the  deceased,  but 
found  there  had  been  some  foul  play  and  embezzlement, 
particularly  in  the  wearing  upparel  of  the  deceased.  I 
recovered  all  I  could.  I  gave  Cadotte  charge  of  the  place, 
but  the  establishment  will  turn  out  a  heavy  loss — a  great 
quantity  of  goods  gone,  and  very  few  packs  of  furs  on 
iiand.  I  could  find  no  account  book,  either  of  Indian  debts 
or  the  men's  advances.  I  suspect  foul  play  in  this  case,  and 
that  the  book  has  been  committed  to  the  flames.  loth.  I 
returned  home ;  weather  very  severe.  On  the  1 2th  one  of 
my  men  gave  a  mare  that  cost  him,  G.  H.  V.  P.  currency, 
equal  to  j^i6  13s.  4d.,  Halifax  currency,  for  one  single  touch 
at  a  Slave  girl.  Another  of  my  men,  who  was  out  with 
the  hunter  in  a  leather  tent  last  night,  got  up  in  his  sleep 
and  fell  into  the  fire  with  his  buttocks  foremost ;  he  is 
much  burneo  and  cannot  walk.  13th,  I  sent  two  men 
to  make  salt  above  Park  river.  My  house  was  set  on 
fire  during  the  ni^jht  by  the  burning  of  the  cannouilles  [can- 
nelures] in  the  chimney  ;  a  part  of  the  upper  floor  falling, 


■iil"|fwii^iFJ(iW 


236 


CAMERON  BURIED — ANOTHER  JOURNEY. 


M 


,1  i' 

Is 
1^^ 


awoke  me.  The  wind  was  very  high,  but  we  extinguished 
the  fire  without  much  damage,  ijt/i.  The  men  arrived 
with  the  corpse  on  a  train,  wrapped  in  a  Russia  sheeting  and 
two  parchment  skins.  They  had  attempted  to  bring  it  in  a 
coffin,  but  it  was  too  broad  for  a  train.  This  was  a  melan- 
choly day  for  us  all.  Langlois  had  arrived  from  his  place, 
and  was  just  sitting  down  to  his  dinner,  when  the  corpse  was 
announced.  What  a  sudden  change  !  Only  a  few  days  ago 
he  was  merry  and  cheerful,  as  we  were  riding  along  crack- 
ing jokes  and  running  races,  and  little  did  he  believe  him- 
self so  near  his  end.  He  was  a  good-natured,  inoffensive, 
zealous,  and  sober  young  man.  i6tA.  Having  got  a  coffin 
made,  we  buried  Mr.  Cameron  alongside  his  deceased  wife, 
attended  by  all  the  men,  women,  and  children  of  the  fort. 
His  easy,  affable  manners  had  won  the  esteem  of  all. 
lytA.  Mr.  Langlois  returned  to  his  place.  I  prepared  for 
departure  to  my  northern  outposts. 

/an.  igth.  Before  day  I  set  off  with  two  men,  well  pro- 
vided with  sleighs  and  dogs.  We  camped  at  Riviere  aux 
Gratias.  20th.  The  most  severe,  cold  morning  I  recollect 
to  have  ever  experienced ;  we  could  not  leave  the  fire  to 
tackle  our  dogs  and  prepare  for  our  march.  When  the 
weather  was  perfectly  clear  and  calm  we  took  to  the  ice, 
came  down,  and  camped  at  Rat  river.  Next  day  we  got  to 
the  Forks.  Mr.  Dorion  was  starving,  and  making  no  packs. 
24.th.  Set  off  for  Riviere  aux  Morts,  where  we  arrived  at 
four  o'clock.  T.  Veandier  [Vaudry]  making  out  extraordi- 
narily well.  I  wished  a  guide  to  take  me  across  land  to 
Manitouaubanc  [Lake  Manitoba],  but  there  were  no  Indians 
at  the  house.  25th.  At  noon  I  set  off,  and  at  ten  p.  m. 
arrived  at  the  Forks.  28th.  I  set  off  for  Portage  la  Prairie. 
2gth.    On  arrival  I  found  all  starving. 

Feb.  1st.  I  set  off  with  my  two  men  and  Mr.  Harrison 
for  the  lake  ;  a  snowstorm  obliged  us  to  encamp  at  the  N. 
end  of  the  portage.  2d.  Early  off ;  fell  upon  Lake  Mani- 
touaubanc ;  fine  smooth  ice.  We  kept  the  E.  shore,  passing 
from  one  bay  to  another  across  points ;  camped  at  a  little 


m 


LAKE   MANITOBA — DESJARLAIX. 


237 


u 


t 

i- 
o 
s 


ti 


river,  jd.  Arrived  at  Desjarlaix's  house,  opposite  Maple 
island ;  '*  he  is  making  nothing.  He  takes  daily  a  number 
of  fine  large  whitefish  in  his  nets.  This  fishery  is  abundant 
the  whole  year,  but  more  particularly  in  the  autumn,  when 
almost  any  number  may  be  caught ;  they  generally  weigh 
from  12  to  20  pounds.  This  part  of  the  lake  is  erroneously 
called  by  us  Manitoaubanc.  It  is  a  considerable  body  of 
water  running  nearly  N.  and  S.,  and  near  the  middle  nar- 
,  rows  to  a  strait  not  a  league  across.  The  S.  pirt  is  called 
by  the  natives  Rush  lake,  and  the  N.  is  called  Manitoau- 
banc. From  Desjarlaix's  house  we  can  see  Fort  Dauphin 
mountain  very  distinctly  ;  the  distance  may  be  12  leagues 
— that  is,  about  one  day's  walk.  Madame  Desjarlaix 
contrived  to  get  intoxicated,  and,  in  her  endeavors  to  show 
her  art  of  cooking,  came  near  poisoning  us  with  filth,  jt/t. 
We  set  off  homeward  ;  camped  at  the  old  encampment. 
<5M.  A  terrible  gale  blew  all  day,  and  prevented  our  start- 
ing until  sunset,  when  the  wind  ceased  and  we  set  out  on 
the  lake ;  traveled  all  night ;  excessively  dark ;  the  ice 
smooth  and  clear.  Our  dogs  had  no  footing,  and  my  fel- 
low-traveler, Mr.  Harrison,  is  one  of  the  most  awkward  and 
miserable  winter-travelers  in  the  North  West ;  he  can 
neither  walk,  run,  or  ride  with  dogs.     He  lost  us  much  time 

'*  Two  of  the  points  along  the  E.  shore  of  Lake  Manitoba  are  now  called 
Marshy  and  Long.  The  only  considerable  island  I  can  find  is  one  now  called 
T)uck  isl.,  high  up  in  the  southern  division  of  the  lake,  directly  off  the  present 
Sousonse  Indian  reserve.  Henry's  remarks  on  the  native  nomenclature  of  the 
lake  are  specially  interesting. 

Antoine  Desjarlaix,  Desjarlais,  Dejarlais,  or  Dejarlet,  clerk  and  interpreter 
of  the  N.  \V.  Co.,  the  one  here  in  mention,  is  probably  to  be  distinguished 
from  another  Antoine  Desjarlaix,  who  was  in  that  country  in  1799,  and  left  the 
N.  W.  Co.  in  1805,  as  this  one  could  not  read.  The  latter  long  lived  on  that 
Lac  4  la  Biche  or  Red  Deer  1.  which  discharges  by  a  river  of  the  same  name 
into  Athabasca  r.  Thompson  found  him  there  May  29th,  i8i3,  with  his 
family,  living  in  two  tents  and  trading  with  the  H.  B.  Co.  I  note  him  again 
of  date  June  5th,  1814,  with  wife,  two  sons,  and  two  or  more  daughters  ;  he 
had  sisters  in  the  parish  of  Verch^res. — One  Desjarlaix,  N.  W.  Co.,  was  horse- 
keeper  to  the  Rocky  Mountain  house,  Oct.  nth,  1806;  no  doubt  one  of  the 
two,  Francois  and  Joseph,  who  were  in  the  Rocky  mts.,  on  Columbian  waters 
with  Thompson,  winter  of  1810-11. 


i'  t 
I 

'fi 


238 


RETURN  TO  PEMBINA — STABBING  AFFRAY. 


in  waiting  for  him  every  day  he  was  with  us ;  but  this  dark 
night  was  still  worse,  and  we  were  often  near  losing  him 
entirely.  At  sunrise  we  reached  the  N.  end  of  the  portage. 
The  grass  has  been  burned  here  the  same  as  all  over  the 
plains  of  Red  river ;  what  little  snow  falls  is  instantly  drifted 
off,  and  the  bare  ground  is  so  much  exposed  to  the  frosts 
that  the  earth  has  cracked  in  a  surprising  manner.  We  met 
with  crevices  in  the  portage  half  a  foot  wide,  and  some  few 
near  a  foot.  These  rents  run  in  serpentine  directions  and 
make  traveling  in  the  dark  dangerous,  as  they  are  of  a  great 
depth,  and  a  person  getting  his  foot  or  legs  into  one  would 
be  in  danger.  The  ground  was  so  dry  that  our  dogs  and 
cariole  raised  a  thick  dust,  blackening  our  faces,  so  that 
when  ws  arrived  at  Portage  la  Prairie  we  looked  as  if  we 
had  been  working  in  a  coal  pit.  Riding  is  out  of  question  in 
the  burned  plains.  This  made  it  disagreeable  business  for 
my  friend  Harrison,  who,  after  sweating,  puffing,  blowing, 
and  lamenting,  was  heartily  glad  to  find  himself  at  his 
house,  gth.  Two  men  from  Fisher  river  "  came  for  high 
wine.  /////.  Set  off,  almost  distracted  with  toothache. 
Not  a  mouthful  of  provisions  at  this  place.  J2th.  A  terri- 
ble snowstorm,  and  a  gale  in  our  teeth  ;  however,  we  got  to 
the  Forks.  All  hands  starving  here  also.  On  the  15th  I 
set  off  with  my  two  men  and  Mr.  Dorion  ;  founJ  Indians  at 
entrance  of  Riviere  la  Sale  [St.  Norbert].  We  camped  at  the 
Riviere  aux  Gratias  ;  a  snowstorm  prevented  our  marching. 
lyth.  At  dusk  we  arrived  at  Panbian  river ;  Mr.  Cotton 
was  awaiting  my  arrival,  igth.  Mr.  Cotton  and  two  men 
started  for  the  upper  part  of  Rat  river  to  make  gum.  Mr. 
Desjarlaix  also  off. 

Feb.  22d.  I  started  Mr.  Hesse  and  his  wife  for  Red  lake  to 
bring  down  sugar  and  bark  ;  with  him  go  two  men.  Grande 
Gueule  stabbed  Perdrix  Blanche  with  a  knife  in  six  places ; 
the  latter,  in  fighting  with  his  wife,  fell  in  the  fire  and  was 

"  Present  name  of  the  stream  which  falls  into  the  head  of  Fisher  bay,  at  the 
S.  end  of  the  N.  division  of  Lake  Winnipeg,  nearly  or  exactly  on  the  boundary 
of  Rs.  i  and  ii  E.  of  the  princ.  merid.,  Tp.  28  ;  Indian  res.  there  now. 


TRIP  TO  HAIR  HILLS — SERIOUS  DISPUTE. 


239 


almost  roasted,  but  had  strength  enough  left,  notwithstand- 
ing his  wounds,  to  bite  her  nose  off.  He  is  very  ill,  but  I 
don't  suppose  he  will  die.  26th.  Heavy  snow ;  Indians 
daily  going  and  coming,  and  tormenting  us  for  liquor. 
Payet  off  to  Lake  Winipic  in  search  of  canoe  bark. 

Mar.  1st.  I  take  from  1 5  to  20  small  fish  in  my  net  daily. 
6tli.  Men  finished  burning  200  cords  of  oak  since  our 
arrival  here ;  four  chimneys  only.  12th.  Filled  my  ice- 
house ;  |)0  sleigh-loads  of  ice  a.id  400  kegs  of  water,  ijth. 
I  went  to  the  Hair  hills.  The  Assiniboines  requested  me 
to  leave  a  person  to  summer  with  them,  as  they  did  not 
like  to  go  to  the  Saulteur  fort  [Pembina].  They  made  me 
fine  promises  if  I  would  consent  to  their  proposal ;  I  told 
them  I  would  consider  on  it.  I4.th.  We  returned  home, 
travc'lng  in  the  night ;  at  this  season  we  prefer  always  to  do 
so,  to  prevent  sore  eyes,  and  to  take  advantage  of  the  frost ; 
the  dogs  travel  much  better  than  in  the  daytims,  when  the 
snow  is  soft  and  they  are  soon  fatigued.  i8th.  Indians  set- 
ting off  for  their  spring  hunt  above.  We  saw  some  corneilles 
[crows,  Corvus  americanus],  and  hawks,  igth.  I  set  off  at 
dark  for  Riviere  aux  Marais — a  tedious  trip  ;  no  frost,  but 
much  water  on  the  plains,  and  dogs  of  no  use.  Put  my 
cariole  en  cache,  and  got  there  at  sunrise  on  foot.  21st. 
Came  home  on  horseback  ;  snow  entirely  melted.  Men 
arrived  with  18  kegs  of  gum. 

Mar.  22d.  Winter  express  from  the  North  arrived,  via 
Portag  •  la  Prairie  ;  two  men  brought  it.  Grosse  Gue  lie 
and  myself  had  a  serious  dispute ;  he  wanted  to  give  his 
furs  to  the  X.  Y.,  which  I  prevented,  at  the  risk  of  my  life  ; 
he  was  advised  by  them  to  kill  me.  2jd.  Winter  express 
on  horseback  off  for  Red  river.  I  sent  men  for  meat  with 
carts ;  saw  some  ducks  and  geese.  2/fth.  Plains  on  fire 
toward  the  W.  26th.  Ice  breaking  up;  sturgeon  jump- 
ing.    Women  came  in  with  some  new  sugar. 

April  1st.  I  went  to  the  upper  part  of  Tongue  river  to 
meet  a  band  of  Indians  .'■eturning  from  hunting  beaver,  and 
fought   several  battles  with  the  women  to  get  their  furs 


240 


TRICK    OF  TRADE— MURDER— FIRE. 


from  them.  It  was  the  most  disagreeable  derouine  I  ever 
made ;  however,  I  got  all  they  had,  about  a  pack  of  good 
furs ;  but  I  was  vexed  at  having  been  obliged  to  fight  with 
the  women.     It  is  true  it  was  all  my  neighbor's  debts. 

April  2d.  I  returned  with  the  furs  I  had  so  well  pur- 
chased. The  grass  begins  to  point  out  of  the  ground  in  the 
burned  prairies.  Fire  in  the  S.  W.  Of  my  men,  some  are 
making  wheels,  others  carts,  others  sawing  boards  and 
squaring  timber ;  the  smith  is  making  nails,  others  sturgeon 
nets ;  some  are  smoking  tongues ;  the  most  active  and 
capable  are  gone  with  the  Indians  to  hunt  beaver  and  take 
care  of  the  furs. 

April  4th.  An  Indian  from  Red  lake  informs  us  that  one 
of  our  men.  La  Rose,"  has  been  killed  by  a  Saulteur  of 
Fond  du  Lac  :  the  Indian  has  since  died  himself.  Red 
river  now  clear  of  ice.  7///.  Indian  families  daily  camping 
at  our  houses,  awaiting  the  return  of  the  men  who  are  hunt- 
ing beaver.  loth.  My  people  arrived  from  Riviere  aux 
Marai'j — miserable  returns.  An  Indian  tent  of  eight  fam- 
ilies caught  fire,  by  the  carelessness  of  the  children,  and  was 
burned  to  the  ground,  and  everything  consumed  ;  the  four 
families  that  were  burned  out  early  in  the  winter  having  their 
little  property  again  destroyed.  /////.  I  sent  two  men  in 
a  small  canoe  with  goods  to  supply  the  Forks  and  Rivit're 
aux  Morts.     I  went  to  the  Hair  hills  on  horseback  ;  settled 


"A  shady  transaction,  of  which  Mr.  Henry  should  have  been  rather  ashamed 
than  "  vexed."  Those  skins  which  he  secured  were  due  to  the  X.  V.  Co.,  for 
debts  the  Indians  had  contracted ;  he  knew  this,  and  so  did  the  squaws  with 
whom  he  "  fought,"  lest  they  should  prevail  upon  their  husbands  to  deliver  the 
skins  where  they  were  due.  Mr.  Henry  doubtless  thought  that  all  things  are 
fair  in  trade,  as  they  are  said  to  be  in  love  and  war. 

'*  Franfois  Larose  or  La  Rose  appears  as  interpreter  N.  W.  Co.,  Red  Lake 
Dept.,  1804.  The  same  name  appears  as  that  of  a  voyageur  N.  W.  I'o.  Chip- 
pewa r.,  1804. — Baptiste  or  Jean  Baptiste  Larose,  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  was  at 
Lower  Fort  des  Prairies  on  the  Saskatchewan  in  1799,  *"d  ^^  ^^^  Rocky  Moun- 
tain house  on  the  Upper  Saskatch.  with  Thompson  in  1800. — Aimable  de  Gire, 
dit  Larose,  b.  Montreal,  went  young  10  Michilimackinac,  entered  fur-trade, 
took  part  in  the  war,  was  for  some  years  at  Baie  Verte,  d.  at  Montreal,  very 
jld,  unmarried. 


Ft 


NKW    HAIR   HILLS    POST — GOOD   ASSINIBOINES.        24I 

with  Mr.  Langlois  and  three  men  to  summer  there  and 
huild  a  new  fort.  I  pitched  upon  a  delightful  situation  on 
rising  ground  in  the  entrance  of  the  plains ;  the  view  from 
the  house  will  be  charming.  I  found  here  1 5  Assiniboine 
tents, — Old  Frog,  Chef  des  Enfants,  etc., — but  I  thought 
proper  to  select  a  chief  of  my  own.  I  chose  a  young  man 
who  was  a  famous  hunter,  much  respected  among  his  own 
people,  and  who,  having  committed  some  recent  crime  in  his 
own  lands,  I  was  fully  persuaded  would  neither  breed  dis- 
turbance with  the  Saulteurs  nor  wish  to  leave  me.  He  had 
command  of  ten  tents,  all  excellent  beaver  huiiters  and  pro- 
vision makers — in  a  word,  the  best  little  band  of  Indians  I 
ever  met ;  honest,  industrious,  and  easy  to  please.  Nau- 
bonostouog,  or  Man  with  One  Ear,  is  his  name ;  I  gave  him 
a  chief's  dress,  a  flag,  and  a  large  keg  of  liquor. 

April  ijth.  I  came  off  alone ;  chased  several  herds  of 
buffalo,  and  killed  three  cows  and  several  calves ;  but  I  was 
near  leaving  my  bones  in  the  plains,  a  prey  for  the  wolves. 
This  was  occasioned  by  my  horse  stumbling  while  at  full 
speed.  I  was  just  drawing  my  gun  from  the  belt  to  fire, 
holding  it  by  the  barrel  near  the  muzzle,  when  the  sudden 
shock  caused  the  priming  to  fire  the  gun  ;  the  ball  passed 
near  my  hip  and  struck  in  the  ground  and  the  gun  flew 
some  distance.  I  was  in  the  midst  of  the  herd  ;  a  fine 
large  calf  passing  near  ine.  I  dismounted,  caught  him  by  the 
xail,  and  held  him  fast ;  he  began  to  bleat,  when  instantly 
the  mother  turned  and  rushed  at  me  ;  I  vvas  glad  to  let  go 
and  run  to  my  horse.  As  I  reflected  on  my  narrow  escape, 
it  brought  to  mind  a  similar  affair  which  happened  to 
me  some  years  ago  at  Michipicotton,  when  shooting  v 
fowl  in  the  spring,  in  a  small  canoe.  In  attempting  > 
shift  my  gun  from  my  left  to  my  right  side,  passing  'he 
muzzle  behind  my  back,  the  cock  got  fast  to  one  of  ae 
bars,  and,  on  my  pulling  the  gun  forward  from  behin''  me, 
she  went  off  ;  the  load  grazed  my  right  side,  taking  i  pjoce 
of  my  belt  and  capot  away. 

April  i6th.     My  men  began  to  inclose  our  potato  field. 


1^    ' 


242      DYSENTERY — DROWNED    LYNX— WHITE    BUFFALO. 

We  take  from  lo  to  20  sturgeon  per  clay;  one  weighed  145 
pounds.  Indians  all  feasting  and  making  their  wabbano ; 
drums  and  kettles  beating  day  and  night,  keeping  up  a  ter- 
rible noise.  i8th.  Indians  drinking,  and  very  troublesome. 
My  people  are  all  unwell ;  as  usual  every  spring,  on  the 
sudden  change  of  diet  from  flesh  to  fat  sturgeon,  they  are 
troubled  with  a  dysentery  that  reduces  them  very  much  ; 
they  are  extraordinary  gormandizers,  and  sturgeon  oil  is 
too  much  for  them.  We  take  large  fat  picaneau  in  our  stur- 
geon nets ;  they  are  excellent  eating,  but  too  oily,  and  tend 
to  increase  the  disease.  Indians  preparing  for  their  grand 
medicine,  having  received  their  spring  presents  of  clothing, 
liquor,  etc.  22d.  Caught  1 5  sturgeons  and  a  loup-cervier  ; 
how  the  latter  came  into  the  sturgeon  net  I  cannot  say. 
We  saw  his  track  on  the  beach  until  he  came  opposite  the 
nt-T,  which  completely  crossed  the  river;  he  appeared  to  have 
then  taken  to  the  water,  for  what  reason  I  cannot  tell. 
However,  he  was  found  drowned,  entangled  in  the  net, 
about  10  feet  from  shore.  2^th.  I  bought  a  beautiful 
white  buffalo  skin  from  Le  C^dre,  who  had  killed  the 
young  bull  last  January  at  Grandes  Fourches;  the  hair  was 
long,  soft,  and  perfectly  white,  resembling  a  sheep's  fleece. 
The  Saulteurs  set  no  value  on  these  skins.  We  began  to 
make  up  our  pemmican  and  packs.  25th.  I  took  a  mare 
from  an  X.  Y.  Indian  in  payment  of  a  debt.  This  affair 
came  near  being  attended  with  serious  consequences,  as  the 
fellow  was  a  known  villain  and  a  chief  of  the  X.  Y.  making. 
I  some  time  ago  gave  1  m  a  cruel  beating,  and  bunged  up 
his  eyes,  so  that  he  c  uld  not  see  for  several  days.  He 
has  ever  since  been  bent  on  revenge,  although  he  richly 
deserved  the  ill  usage  T  gave  him,  having  attempted  to  stab 
me  with  my  own  knife.  26th.  I  began  to  sow  potatoes, 
21  bags;  corn,  one  pint ;  and  some  cabbage  seed. 

April  28th.  Working  at  cur  garden.  Some  of  our  horses 
could  not  be  found.  I  suspected  the  fellow  from  whom  we 
had  taken  the  mare.  I  went  to  his  tent  with  a  couple  of 
men,  determined  to  bring  him  prisoner  to  my  house,  and 


TRIPLE   FRACAS— FORT  ON   FIRE — FIVE  FIGHTS.      243 

found  him  playing  at  the  platter  with  20  men,  all  his  rela- 
tions. I  inquired  if  he  had  left  his  tent  since  such  a  day, 
and  if  it  was  not  he  who  had  hid  my  horses.  The  Indians 
were  astonished,  and  could  not  account  for  my  violent  pro- 
ceedings. However,  I  was  convinced  that  he  was  innocent. 
On  returning  to  the  fort  I  found  the  men  alarmed ;  all  the 
women  and  children  had  fled  to  the  woods.  They  had  been 
informed  by  an  old  woman  that  the  Indians  were  preparing 
to  attack  the  fort ;  but,  after  a  great  bustle,  everything 
quieted  down. 

Apr.  30th,  We  found  our  strayed  horses.  Indians  having 
asked  for  liquor,  and  promised  to  decamp  and  hunt  well  all 
summer,  I  gave  them  some.  Grande  Gueule  stabbed  Capot 
Rouge,  Le  Bceuf  stabbed  his  young  wife  in  the  arm,  Little 
Shell  almost  beat  his  old  mother's  brains  out  with  a  club, 
and  there  was  terrible  fighting  among  them.  I  sowed 
garden  seeds. 

May  4.th.  Indian  women  preparing  ground,  sowing  pota- 
toes, corn,  and  squash,  burning  brush,  etc.  Extraordinary 
number  of  wild  pigeons;  I  never  before  saw  so  many. 
5th.  Tremendous  gale  of  wind  from  the  N.  \V  ,  which 
kindled  afresh  the  brushwood  of  yesterday;  the  fire  spread 
in  every  direction,  and  was  blown  full  upon  the  fort.  Some 
sparks  flew  over  the  stockades  and  set  fire  to  a  heap  of  dry 
dung,  which  in  an  instant  communicated  to  the  stockades, 
and  all  was  in  a  blaze.  The  flames  were  driven  with  great 
violence  upon  our  range  of  houses,  and  we  were  in  imminent 
danger  of  losing  all  the  property.  But  the  Indians  rendered 
great  assistance  in  keeping  the  fire  under,  carrying  water, 
etc.,  and  after  having  suffered  much  by  flame,  smoke,  and 
dust,  we  extinguished  it. 

May  6th.  Engaged  my  men,  settled  their  accounts,  and 
gave  them  a  treat  of  high  wine  ;  they  were  soon  merry,  then 
quarreled  and  fought.  I  saw  five  battles  at  the  same 
moment,  and  soon  after  they  all  had  bloody  noses,  bruised 
faces,  black  eyes,  and  torn  clothes,  jth.  Repairing  canoes. 
Indians  decamping  for  the  Hair  hills.     8tk.     I  went  to  see 


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344 


VARIOUS  MOVEMENTS   AND   ARRANGEMENTS. 


Mr.  Langlots,  and  overtook  the  Indians  on  their  march. 
They  formed  a  string  in  the  plains  over  a  mile  long — 65 
men  and  women,  10  horses,  and  60  dogs.  At  the  hills  I 
found  the  building  almost  finished,  and  50  tents  of  Assini- 
boines  and  Crees.  /oM.  I  returned  home ;  chased  buffalo, 
and  killed  three  cows  and  several  calves  ;  Lambert's  horse 
knocked  up.  We  performed  an  extraordinary  day's  march, 
after  running  the  buffalo.  Cabbages  and  radishes  are  out 
of  the  ground ;  peas  and  turnips  also  appear.  12th.  Plum 
trees  and  pear  bushes  begin  to  blossom ;  appearance  of 
much  fruit  this  season.  The  blossoms  of  various  kinds  emit 
a  r  it  agreeable  smell  on  the  border  of  the  plains,  where 
they  grow  sumptuously.  i6f/t.  The  men  cut  down  the 
huge  liards  [Po/>u/us  balsamifera]  that  stood  on  the  banks 
and  intercepted  our  view.  i8th.  Mr.  Hesse  arrived  from 
Red  lake  in  13  days,  bringing  12  kegs  of  sugar  and  a  few 
beaver  skins.  One  of  my  men,  Descarreau,"  was  shot  in  the 
thigh  by  an  Indian,  Naubunaejonibe ;  the  shot  was  intended 
for  Mr.  Cotton.  I  heard  of  the  death  of  Gabriel  Atina 
Laviolette"  at  Fort  Fond  du  Lac  this  winter. 

May  igth.  Sent  off  my  canoes  and  boats,  Charles  Hesse, 
master,  Cadotte,  and  two  men.  20th.  I  embarked  in  my 
own  canoe,  a  new  one  made  by  Lambert — his  first  essay. 
2ist.  Arrived  at  the  Forks.  Clothed  five  Indians,  and  gave 
liquor  in  proportion.  22d.  Went  to  Portage  la  Prairie  to 
get  Mr.  Harrison  off  and  settle  that  place  for  the  summer ; 
all  were  very  merry — rather  too  much  so.  2jd.  Sent  off 
the  last  canoe  with  the  remainder  of  Lake  Manitou  (Mani- 
toba] returns,  and  Mr.  Harrison's  baggage,  etc.  24.1/1  Re- 
turned to  the  Forks.  2^th.  Sent  Mr.  Dorion  to  summer 
at  Portage  la  Prairie  with  Joseph  St.  Germain  and  two  men. 
Sent  Antoine  Desjarlaix   to  Lake  Winipic    to   raise   bark 

*•  So  copy  ;  elsewhere  Descarrie  in  Henry  MS.  I  have  no  other  record  of 
him.  The  shot  was  not  fatal,  as  he  brought  Henry,  on  Mar.  13th,  1806,  news 
of  Pike's  visit  to  Leech  I. 

*'  One  Laviolette  was  associated  with  Beaubien  in  opposition  to  the  N,  W. 
Co.,  1794. — Jacques  Laviolette  is  listed  as  voyageur  contre-maitre,  N.  W.  Co., 
Fort  Dauphin,  1804. 


DEPARTURE  FROM    PEMBINA. 


245 


during  the  summer.  Settled  Portage  la  Prairie  accounts, 
engaged  the  men,  etc.  26th.  Sent  my  brigade  off.  27th. 
The  N.  W.  Upper  Red  River  brigade  passed  down,  and 
soon  afterward  the  X.  Y.  from  U.  R.  R.  At  twelve  o'clock 
I  embarked.  ?8th.  Stopped  by  the  wind  at  the  entrance 
of  Red  river;  f.he  diiTerent  brigades  joined  us.  2gth.  Mr. 
Chaboillez  arrived. 

RETURNS    or  LOWER  RED  RIVER  DEPARTMENT,    1803-04.        * 


Eight  Canoks. 


i366  Bcaven,  9868  Ibl 

166  Black  Bears 

34  Brown  Bean 

■  Griiily  Bear 

360  Wolvei 

81  Foxes 

ao  Kitts 

77  Raccooiii 

176  Fishers 

130  Otters 

440  Martens 

73  Minks 

8  Wolverenes 

167  Lynxes 

85  Mioose  and  Biches 

388  Shaved  and  Parchment 

18  Buffalo  Robes 

4  Badgers 

los  Packs  of  I/)  lbs.  each 

53  Kegs  Pemmican,  00  lbs.  each. 

i<     "     Gum 

30     "     Beef 

6     "     Grease 

3      "     Salt 

la     "     Sugar 


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May  30th.  The  wind  fell  at  daybreak.  We  embarked 
and  stood  out  in  the  lake  in  a  body — U.  R.  R.,  N.  W.  Co., 
7  canoes  and  2  boats ;  L.  R.  R.,  N.  W.  Co.,  7  canoes  and  2 
boats ;  Swan  River  Co.,  7  canoes  and  i  boat ;  Red  River, 
X.  Y.  Co.,8  canoes  and  i  boat;  Indian  women,  4  canoes. 
Wind  stopped  us  at  Grand  Marais.  I  sent  in  search  of 
bark  to  repair  our  canoes. 


M 


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.^  ,  '\ 


246 


JOURNEY  TO  KAMINISTIQUIA. 


r> 


May  J  1st.  We  searched  for  better  bark  along  the  lake, 
but  to  no  pur|>ose;  nothing  but  trash  was  to  be  found. 
In  the  evening  reached  Bas  de  la  Riviere. 

Friday,  June  ist.  Early  our  two  brigades  arrived,  the  18 
crafts  abreast,  all  singing  and  keeping  time  with  their 
paddles  and  oars ;  the  canoes  being  heavy  loaded,  and 
having  only  three  men  apiece,  made  it  easy  to  keep  in 
chorus  with  the  boats. 

June  jd.  Sent  back  Messrs.  Harrison,  Delorme,  and 
V.  St.  Germain  for  Portage  la  Prairie  on  board  a  boat. 

June  4th.  Sent  off  the  Lower  Red  River  brigade  for 
Kamanistiquia. 

June  6th.  Embarked  Mr.  William  McKay  on  board  my 
canoe,  and  eight  men  ;  mai^ched  moderately. 

June  i2th.  Arrived  at  Lac  la  Pluie  ;  remained  some 
days,  to  see  the  brigade  pass. 

June  2Sth.    Arrived  at  Kamanistiquia. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  PEMBINA   RIVER   POST,  CONTINUED :    I804-O5. 

•^AMANISTIQUIA,  Jjly  ist,  1804.  Men  not  so  diffi- 
'^  cult  to  hire  this  year  as  last,  when  boaters  for  Lower 
Red  river  refused  700  G.  P.  Cy.,  and  milieux  [middlemen] 
SCXD,  with  extra  equipments. 

July  jth.  I  sent  off  the  brigade — 10  canoes,  with  28 
packs  and  4  men  each. 

Jttly  ijth.  Took  passage'  on  Mr.  Cameron's  canoe; 
then  on  board  Mr.  Joseph  St.  Germain's,  igth.  Pears  ripe 
at  Portage  des  Chiens  [Dog  portagej.  2jd.  Mr.  Hamilton 
got  astray  in  the  woods  on  Riviere  des  Chiens  [Dog  river]. 
Water  exceedingly  low.  Wc  made  continual  d^charges 
and  half-loads. 

July  2Sth.  At  the  little  lake  in  Portage  la  Prairie  [Mead- 
ow or  Savanna  portage],  our  pots  and  kettles  were  covered 
with  ice  in  the  morning  ;  this  is  the  Height  of  Land. 

July  28th.  Overtook  my  brigade  on  Portage  des  Fran- 
qais  [French  portage] ;  the  men  mostly  sick  and  emaciated. 
Canoes  very  small,  of  the  worst  materials,  wretchedly 
put  together ;  require  daily  repairing.  Water  very  low, 
and  canoes  heavy  loaded.  This  has  nearly  knocked  the 
men  up ;  nothing  but  a  certain  pride  and  ambition,  natural 
to  the  Northmen,  keeps  them  pushing  forward,  with  every 
exertion  in  their  power  ;  and  it  is  very  disagreeable  for  the 
master  when  he  joins  his  brigade  in  a  difficult  and  tedious 
part  of  the  route.  Little  or  nothing  is  said  during  the  day, 
when  they  have  a  certain  shame  or  bashfulness  about 
complaining  openly ;   but  no  sooner  is  my  tent  pitched, 


'  Henry  starts  back  to  his  Pembina  post  by  the  Kaministiquia  route, 
places  he  names  will  be  recognized  by  reference  to  note  '*,  p.  217. 


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■■#ii"-'V>*fy^»— 


248       JOURNEY  FROtVi   KAMINISTIQUIA— PORK   EATERS. 

than  I  am  attacked  by  everyone  in  turn.  Some  complain 
of  having  a  bad  canoe  ;  others,  a  heavy  one — his  assistant 
cannot  carry  her ;  others  have  a  sick  or  lame  man  in  the 
canoe,  yet  must  keep  up  to  the  brigade ;  some  want  bark, 
others  gum,  others  wattap,  others  grease,  etc.;  unforeseen 
accidents  having  deprived  them  of  those  very  necessar}' 
articles.  Having  listened  to  all  the  complaints,  and  re- 
dressed them  as  far  as  practicable,  I  must  attend  to  the 
sick  and  lame,  and  administer  accordingly. 

Aug.  1st.  Left  my  brigade  ;  exchanged  my  own  canoe 
with  the  Pork  Eaters*  from  Lac  la  Pluie.  The  two  Fort 
des  Prairies  canoes,  Messrs.  McDonnell  and  Harrison,  have 
13  packs  and  eight  men  each;  Athabasca  river,  Mr.  G., 
eight  packs  and  seven  men. 

Aug.  4th.  At  Little  Lake  portage.  Athabasca  canoes 
still  here,  preparing  to  embark  ;  water  very  low.  We  have 
terrible  weather — wind,  rain,  thunder  and  lightning  almost 
every  day.  Made  a  very  long,  ugly  portage  in  Lac  des 
Bois,  in  mud  and  mire  up  to  the  knees ;  loading  and 
unloading  is  miserable  work  here  in  such  a  season. 

*  Mangeurs  de  Lard  at  "  Pork  Eaters,"  also  called  "  Goers  and  Coiners  "  in 
the  N.  W.  Co.,  were  men  employed  from  May  ist  to  the  end  of  September,  to 
go  and  come  between  Montreal  and  Grand  Portage  (in  some  cases  as  far  as 
Rainy  1.).  In  1798  the  company  had  of  these,  s  clerks,  18  guides,  350  canoe- 
men.  The  guides  were  paid  800  to  1,000  livres  and  suitable  equipment ; 
bowsmen  and  steersmen,  400  to  600  livres ;  middlemen,  250  to  350  livres,  with 
a  blanket,  a  shirt,  and  pair  of  trousers.  All  were  victualed  at  the  expense  nf 
the  company.  Similar  arrangements  naturally  continued  when  headquarters 
were  removed  to  Kaministiquia.  In  the  matter  of  rations,  McKenzie,  p.  xlvi., 
gives  an  interesting  account  of  things  as  they  were  at  Grand  Portage  before 
the  removal :  "  The  proprietors,  clerks,  guides,  and  interpreters,  mess  together, 
to  the  number  of  sometimes  an  hundred,  at  several  tables,  in  one  large  hall, 
the  provision  consisting  of  bread,  salt  pork,  beef,  hams,  fish,  and  venison, 
butter,  peas,  Indian  corn,  potatoes,  tea,  spirits,  wine,  &c.  and  plenty  of  milk." 
Mechanics  had  the  same  ration  ;  but  canoemen  were  given  no  subsistence,  here 
•r  on  the  voyage,  but  corn  and  grease.  The  corn  was  prepared  before  leaving 
Detroit  by  boiling  it  in  lye  to  take  off  the  husk,  when  it  was  washed  and  dried. 
It  was  cooked  by  boiling  it  into  a  sagamity,  or  hominy,  and  eaten  with  salt. 
A  quart  of  such  com  M'as  a  ration  for  24  hours,  costing  about  10  pence  ;  the 
com  was  worth  about  20  shillings  a  bushel  at  Grand  Portage. 


ARRIVAL  AT  WINNIPEG — DEATH  OF  V.  ST.  GERMAIN.    249 

Au^.  i6th.  Reached  Bas  de  la  Riviere:  our  provisions 
all  expended.  lyth.  Off.  i8th.  TerribH  weather  on  the 
lake — wind,  thunder,  lightning,  and  torrents  of  rain  ;  not  a 
mouthful  for  the  men. 

Aug.  igth.  Arrived  at  Forks.  Heard  of  the  death  of 
Venant  St.  Germain  at  Panbian  river,  where  he  was  shot 
by  one  of  our  men,  Joseph  Rainville,  in  July  last,  entirely 
by  accident.  The  deceased  summered  at  Portage  la 
Prairie ;  he  visited  Panbian  river,  and  while  arranging  his  ' 
saddle  climbed  up  into  a  sort  of  half  garret  over  the  men's 
bedrooms  in  the  Indian  hall,  in  search  of  some  necessary 
material.  Just  as  he  was  descending  Rainville  came  in; 
they  had  been  much  given  to  play  and  joke  with  each  other. 
Rainville  said,  in  a  jocular  manner:  "What  would  you  say 
if  I  were  to  bring  your  carcass  down  like  a  bear  ?  "  The 
other  retorted  in  a  like  manner,  knowing  R.  was  a  miser- 
able marksman.  The  latter  took  down  his  old  gun,  then 
hanging  in  the  room,  where  it  had  been  since  last  winter, 
and  taking  aim,  pulled  the  trigger.  To  his  astonishment 
the  gun  went  off ;  and  the  ball  entered  St.  Germain's  left 
side  below  the  ribs  and  came  out  on  the  right  side  under 
the  arm.  He  came  down  very  composedly,  saying :  "  You 
have  killed  me  " — which  was  actually  the  case,  as  he  ex- 
pired in  about  four  hours.  This  young  man  was  an 
apprentice  clerk  and  son  of  Joseph  St.  Germain  of  Isle 
J^sus  near  Montreal. 

Our  Indians  have  been  at  war  all  summer  toward  the 
Sioux  country,  but  always  unsuccessful.  A  party  is  now 
arriving  from  Panbian  river  in  canoes,  returning  homeward 
to  Lake  Winipic ;  20  men  arrived  to-day,  and  plagued  me 
for  liquor. 

Aug.  20th.  Lambert  and  England '  off  for  Panbian  river. 
2jd.  Payet  arrived  in  a  light  canoe  to  inform  me  that  the 
brigade  was  at  Sault  k  la  Biche  [present  St.  Andrew's  rapids 
in  Red  river]  awaiting  my  orders,  having  been  desired  to 

'James  England  it  listrid  as  vjyageur  N.  W.  Co.  after  the  fusion  of  1804, 
English  r. 


Ijrny^w-r»un*; 


lU 


250     ARRIVAL  AT  PEMBINA— ARRANGEMENTS   MADE. 

stop  there ;  they  have  been  destitute  of  corn,  etc.,  since  they 
left  Slave  falls  [Winnipeg  river]  and  are  starving  and  sick. 
2^th,  I  went  down  in  a  light  canoe  to  meet  them ;  heavy 
complaints  of  their  misery,  but  now  that  is  all  over.  Made 
out  the  assortments  for  Dead  river,  Riviere  Terre  Blanche, 
and  Lake  Winipic,  S.  side.  Men  fishing ;  but  as  usual, 
v/hen  a  scarcity  of  provisions  prevails,  they  caught  nothing. 
26th.  Settled  with  the  men  and  divided  baggages ;  sent 
canoes  to  the  Forks ;  went  down  with  two  outfits  to  Dead 
river,  to  settle  with  the  Indians  myself.  2ph.  The  canoes 
with  grease  arrived  from  Panbian  river.  Indians  all  there, 
preparing  for  war.  28th.  Returned  to  the  Forks ;  arrived 
at  midnight.  2gth.  Made  out  assortment  for  Portage  la 
Prairie,  ^oth.  Sent  all  the  canoes  off;  Payet  and  Du- 
charme  to  remain  with  the  Sault  Indians.  31st.  Set  off  on 
horseback,  chased  buffalo  with  Mr.  C,  and  camped  with  his 
brigade  at  the  Passage. 

Sept.  6th.  Arrived  at  Panbian  river;  found  10  long 
Saulteur  tents  of  women  ;  men  all  off  to  war  since  the  4th. 
This  is  the  second  excursion  ;  the  Assiniboines  have  joined 
them,  forming  a  party  of  about  300  men,  of  whom  150  are 
mounted,  yth.  Mr.  Langlois  arrived  from  his  post  at  Hair 
hills ;  very  good  summer  returns  there.  The  Crees  stole 
three  of  our  horses  last  July;  these  scoundrels  having  com- 
menced horse-thieving,  I  am  afraid  they  will  trouble  us 
often  on  that  score.  Bear,  an  Assiniboine,  was  the  prin- 
cipal man,  and  there  were  two  Crees;  they  stole  the  horses 
from  Cadotte,  at  the  Grand  Passage.  13th.  We  are  much 
plagued  in  watching  our  potatoes  day  and  night,  to  prevent 
the  Indian  women  and  children  from  stealing  them.  lyth. 
I  sent  Mr.  Hesse  with  eight  men  in  one  boat  up  river. 
i8th.  Fire  appears  southward  ;  we  suppose  the  war  party 
is  returning,  igth.  I  gathered  my  cucumbers  and  made  a 
nine-gallon  keg  of  pickles,  having  plenty  of  excellent  vine- 
gar from  maple  sap,  little  inferior  to  that  imported. 

Sept.  2ist.  The  war  party  arrived ;  they  had  been  no 
further  than  Schian  river  and  seen  no  Sioux.    2jd.    Indians 


LIQUOR  MIXED— USUAL  RESULTS— TRIP  UP  RIVER.    25 1 

daily  coming  in  by  small  parties;  nearly  too  men  here.  I 
gave  them  1 5  kegs  of  mixed  liquor,  and  X.  Y.  gave  in  pro- 
portion ;  all  drinking.  I  quarreled  with  Little  Shell,  and 
dragged  him  out  of  the  fort  by  the  hair.  Indians  very  trou- 
blesome, threatening  to  level  my  fort  to  the  ground,  and 
Tabashaw  breeding  mischief.  I  had  two  narrow  escapes 
from  being  stabbed  by  him ;  once  in  the  hall,  and  soon 
afterward  in  the  shop.  I  preceived  they  were  bent  on 
murdering  some  of  us  and  then  pillaging.  I  therefore  de- 
sired all  hands  to  keep  on  their  guard,  and  knock  down  the 
first  Indian  who  should  be  insolent  The  fellows  soon  saw 
we  were  ready  for  them,  and  dropped  away.  I  would  not 
give  out  one  drop  more  rum,  and  all  was  soon  quiet. 

Sept.  26th.  Grand  medicine  performing;  30  Indians 
decamping  for  above  and  for  Panbian  mountain. 

Oct.  ist.  Having  determined  to  go  above  myself  to  settle 
the  Indians  in  that  quarter,  and  the  ground  being  clear  here,  I 
sent  off  a  canoe  with  my  baggage  and  followed  on  horseback. 
Settled  Mr.  'Hesse  at  Turtle  river  with  a  band  of  Indians, 
and  Augustin  Cadotte  at  Salt  river,  to  oppose  the  X.  Y. 

Oct.  2ist.  Returned  to  Panbian  river  after  much  trouble 
in  settling  the  Indians  above ;  they  are  worse  than  ever, 
and  it  is  impossible  to  satisfy  their  unreasonable  demands. 
I  came  home  by  way  of  Hair  hills  and  Tongue  river,  and 
had  excellent  diversion  in  chasing  buffalo ;  my  famous  gray 
horse  was  never  fatigued.  One  day,  when  it  blew  very, 
hard,  I  chased  a  three-year-old  hart  five  miles  before  I 
killed  him.  An  hour  afterward  I  started  a  large  meadow 
hare,  and  killed  it  only  after  a  long  chase,  as  they  are  very 
swift.  Toward  evening  I  ran  a  herd  of  buffalo  and  killed  a 
fat  cow  for  supper.  My  horse  was  not  in  the  least  fatigued, 
although  I  had  ridden  about  12  leagues,  besides  these  three 
long  races.  The  day's  journey  some  of  those  horses  per- 
form is  surprising.  This  horse  of  mine  is  the  most  spirited, 
hardy  beast  I  ever  saw.  Next  day  I  made  an  extraordi- 
nary ride  chasing  buffalo,  wolves,  etc.,  yet  he  kept  on  the 
alert  and  came  in  fresh. 


^■MI'XrjpBiiin  »iii   ||,n 


H-^aWNw^^^lgOi  "^  HWi»  ■■•MVV 


252        GAR'>EN  CROPS— SUICIDE — SHOOTING  SCRAPES. 

Oci.  22d.  Sault  Indians  arrived  for  men  to  go  for  their 
furs — three  packs  of  beaver.  Had  I  been  one  day  later,  I 
should  have  lost  this.  My  canoe  arrived  from  above.  2jd. 
Six  men  off,  en  derouine  to  Rat  river.  Gathered  my  turnips, 
carrots,  etc.  2yth.  Fire  in  the  plains  in  every  direction. 
Went  to  see  how  Mr.  Langlois  was  coming  on  at  the  hills, 
and  returned  next  day.  The  men  had  gathered  the  follow- 
ing crops :  1,000  bushels  potatoes  (produce  of  21  bushels); 
40  bushels  turnips ;  25  bushels  carrots;  20  bushels  beets;  20 
bushels  parsnips  ;  10  bushels  cucumbers ;  2  bushels  melons  ; 
5  bushels  squashes ;  10  bushels  Indian  corn  ;  200  large  heads 
of  cabbage  ;  300  small  and  Savoy  cabbages.  All  these  veg- 
etables are  exclusive  of  what  have  been  eaten  and  destroyed 
since  my  arrival. 

One  of  my  men  having  beaten  his  woman,  she  went  in  the 
woods  with  a  piece  of  rope  and  attempted  to  hang  herself, 
which  she  would  actually  have  done,  had  she  not  been  dis- 
covered just  as  she  was  climbing  the  tree  to  throw  herself 
ofT.  Instances  of  this  sort  are  not  uncommon^  among  the 
Saulteur  women.  An  old  woman  belonging  to  Chamard,* 
one  of  my  men  at  Portage  la  Prairie,  last  winter  in  a  fit  of 
despair  hung  herself  in  the  woods  and  was  found  next  day 
dead  and  stiff.  This  old  woman  had  lost  two  grown  daugh- 
ters within  a  short  time  ;  she  lamented  them  sadly,  and  one 
day,  having  quarreled  with  her  old  man  and  been  beaten, 
,she  put  an  end  to  her  troubles.  I  have  known  on  this  river 
several  women  who  hanged  themselves,  having  lost  their 
husbands  and  been  ill-used  by  their  relations. 

Nov.  ist.  Fire  running  all  over  the  country.  X.  Y. 
ladies  busy  stealing  the  gleanings  of  my  potato  field. 
Tabashaw  attempted  to  fire  on  my  men  on  Rat  river.  8th. 
Hard  frost.  Men  arrived  from  below.  Mr.  D.  was  obliged 
to  build  opposite  Rividre  qui  D^boule,  on  the  W.  side  [thus 
at  present  Dynevor].  He  and  his  men  were  fired  upon  by 
Indians,  but  no  accident  happened. 

Nov.  ijth.    Red  river  frozen  over.    My  tame  bear  making 

*  Michel  Cbamard  appears  as  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Lower  Red  r.,  1804. 


\      \ 


PET  BEAR— WILLIAM   HENRY— VISIT  TO   LANGLOIS.     253 


a  hole,  apparently  desirous  of  taking  up  his  winter  quarters. 
I  got  a  place  made  for  him,  but  he  did  not  like  it ;  although 
snug  and  warm,  he  preferred  making  a  place  for  himself. 
1  le  is  so  tame  as  to  require  no  care  or  confinement,  but 
associates  with  the  dogs,  and  even  follows  them  and  the 
men  into  the  plains  and  woods. 

Nov.  i8th.     Laid  up  our  canoes  for  the  winter. 

N(yv.  jgth.  William  Henry  *  arrived  on  horseback  from 
Fort  Alexandria  ;  continual  derouines.  Fire  raging  all  over 
the  plains.  22d.  Went  to  Hair  hills;  chased  a  drove  of 
bulls,  fell  from  my  horse,  and  narrowly  escaped  being  killed 
by  the  bull  that  turned  upon  my  horse.  2jd.  Sent  a  man 
to  Riviere  la  Souris. 

Nov.  25th.  I  found  it  necessary  to  visit  a  band  of  Mr. 
Langlois'  Indians,  who  were  hunting  beaver  and  bear  in 
the  mountain  about  the  sources  of  Salt  river.  I  set  off 
with  one  man  on  horseback  at  midnight — light  rain  and 
very  dark — most  favorable  weather  to  escape  the  X.  Y., 
who  were  on  the  watch.  At  daybreak  we  met  a  band  of 
Assiniboines  going  to  Mr.  Langlois  with  bear's  meat,  grease, 
etc.  Plains  burned  in  every  direction  and  blind  buffalo  seen 
every  moment  wandering  about.    The  poor  beasts  have  all 

*  Two  persons  of  the  identical  name  are  to  be  distinguished. — William  Henry 
above  said  was  cousin  to  our  Henry,  and  at  this  time  a  clerk  in  the  N.  W.  Co. 
He  was  at  the  lower  fort  on  Swan  r.,  near  Lake  Winnipegoosis,  Oct,  2gth, 
1 801,  and  no  doubt  wintered  there  or  thereabouts  ;  summered  at  Bird  Mountain 
fort  1803  ;  wintered  1803-03-04  at  Fort  Alexandria,  and  summered  there  1804; 
wintered  on  Red  r.,  at  Sandy  Hill  r.,  1806-07  ;  and  his  post  on  Red  r.  was 
attacked  by  Sioux  in  the  summer  of  1808.  He  left  for  further  W.  in  a  year 
or  two,  and  was  found  by  Thompson  in  charge  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  post  at  Cum- 
berland House,  July  4th,  1810.  He  was  in  charge  of  a  camp  or  outpost  on 
Athabasca  r.  in  the  winter  of  1810-11.  While  on  Canoe  r.,  Sept.  22d,  1811, 
Thompson  learned  that  Wm.  Henry  had  crossed  the  mts.  by  the  Athabasca 
portage,  and  found  him  with  men  and  goods  at  Flat  Heart  r.  next  day. 
Thompson  makes  Wm.  Henry's  camp  of  Oct.  4th,  1811,  on  Athabascan  head- 
waters, to  be  lat.  53'  53'  24"  N. ;  and  Wm.  Henry's  house  of  May  I3th,  1813, 
to  be  lat.  53"  55'  16"  N.  We  shall  find  Wm.  Henry  in  chge.  of  a  post  on 
Willamette  r.,  in  Oregon,  winter  of  1813-14. — William  Henry,  a  hunter  in  the 
service  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  with  W.  F.  Wentzel,  at  a  fort  on  Mackenzie  r., 
starved  to  death  there,  winter  of  1810-11. 


.  ^-' 


r^' 


254 


BURNT  BUFFALO— TRIP  TO  SALT  RIVER. 


w 


the  hair  singed  off ;  even  the  skin  in  many  places  is  shriveled 
up  and  terribly  burned,  and  their  eyes  are  swollen  and 
closed  fast.  It  was  really  pitiful  to  see  them  staggering 
about,  sometimes  running  afoul  of  a  large  stone,  at  other 
times  tumbling  down  hill  and  falling  into  creeks  not  yet 
frozen  over.  In  one  spot  we  found  a  whole  herd  lying 
dead.  The  fire  having  passed  only  yesterday  these  animals 
were  still  good  and  fresh,  and  many  of  them  exceedingly 
fat.  Our  road  was  on  the  summit  of  the  Hair  hills,  where 
the  open  ground  is  uneven  and  intercepted  by  many  small 
creeks  running  eastward.  The  country  is  stony  and  barren. 
At  sunset  we  arrived  at  'the  Indian  camp,  having  made  an 
extraordinary  day's  ride,  and  seen  an  incredible  number  of 
dead  and  dying,  blind,  lame,  singed,  and  roasted  buffalo. 
The  lire  raged  all  night  toward  the  S.  W. 

Nov.  26th.  I  settled  with  the  Indians  and  got  two  good 
packs  of  furs,  but  our  horses  were  not  to  be  found.  27th. 
I  sent  Indians  out  to  search  for  them,  but  the  blusterous 
weather  had  entirely  hidden  their  tracks  and  they  could 
not  be  found.  28th.  I  set  out  on  foot  with  my  man, 
determined  to  go  to  Salt  river,  if  I  could  find  it  from  this 
distant  part  of  the  mountain.  At  one  o'clock,  as  we  began 
to  descend  the  hills,  a  heavy  snowstorm  commenced,  with 
a  strong  N.  W.  wind,  which  drove  the  snow  with  great 
violence  on  our  left  side.  Camped  below  the  hills  on  a 
branch  of  Salt  river ;  a  terrible  storm  all  night.  We  had 
nothing  but  our  capots,  and  sleep  was  a  stranger ;  the  night 
was  passed  in  shaking  off  snow.  2gth.  At  daybreak  we 
were  on  our  journey;  the  storm  continued  and  the  wind 
increased.  Saw  a  large  flock  of  outardes ;  red  deer  numer- 
ous. At  five  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Salt  river;  found 
Indians  camped  at  the  house,  all  drinking. 

Dec.  ist.  I  refused  to  give  debt  to  Grande  Gueule  for  a 
blanket,  as  I  knew  he  already  owed  me  more  than  he  could 
pay;  he  is  a  notorious  scoundrel.  On  leaving  the  house 
this  morning,  while  I  was  standing  at  our  door,  the  fellow 
slipped  the   cover  off  his  gun  and  fired  at  me ;  the  ball 


NEWS  OF  THE  N.   W.  AND  X.   Y.  COALITION. 


255 


struck  one  of  the  door-posts.  He  then  loaded  and  iired  a 
second  shot,  and  made  off  with  himself.  It  would  have 
been  folly  to  go  after  him,  as  the  fellow  was  fully  bent  01 
mischief. 

Dtc.  2d.  Long  before  day  I  was  on  my  journey  and  at 
10  p.  m.  reached  Panbian  river  alone,  having  left  my  man 
at  the  Bois  Perc6,  his  horse  being  knocked  up.  Men  con- 
tinually en  derouine. 

Jan.  ist,  1805.  An  express  arrived  with  a  packet  from 
Montreal,  containing  sundry  circular  letters  informing  us  of 
the  coalition  which  had  taken  place.*     It  certainly  was  high 


*  Between  the  N.  W.  and  X.  Y.  companies,  as  per  Montreal  agreement  of 
Nov.  5th,  1804,  putting  an  end  to  the  existence  of  the  X.  Y.  as  a  separate 
organization.  The  death  of  Simon  McTavish  in  July,  1804,  rendered  this  con- 
summation possible,  as  the  principal  object  of  Sir  Alexander  McKenzie's 
jealousy  and  rivalry  was  thus  removed  from  the  scene  of  action.  McTavish 
was  the  head  of  the  firm  cf  McTavish,  Frobisher  &  Co.,  agents  of  the  N.  W.; 
he  was  nicknamed  Le  Premier  and  Le  Marquis  for  his  haughtinesti ;  amassed  a 
fortune,  bought  the  Seigneury  of  Terrebonne,  built  a  residence  in  Montreal  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountain,  known  for  50  years  after  his  death  as  the  haunted 
ch&teau,  demolished  in  i36o,  when  the  residence  of  Sir  Hugh  Allan  was  erected 
on  its  site.  The  signers  of  the  convention  on  the  part  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  were  : 
John  Gregory;  William  Macgillivray;  Duncan  Macgillivray;  William  Hallowell; 
and  Roderic  McKenzie — these  being  bourgeois  and  also  agents  of  McTavish, 
Frobisher  &  Co. ,  Montreal ;  and  tlie  following  wintering  bourgeois :  Angus 
Shaw ;  Daniel  McKenzie ;  William  McKay  ;  John  McDonald  [of  Garth]  ; 
Donald  McTavish  ;  John  McDonnell ;  Archibald  Norman  McLeod ;  Alex- 
ander McDougall ;  Charles  [Jean  Baptiste]  Chaboillez ;  John  Sayer ;  Peter 
Grant;  Alexander  Fraser  ;  ^neas  Cameron  ;  Jq]^  Finlay  ;  Duncan  Cameron; 
James  Hughes ;  Alexander  McKay ;  Hugh  McGillis ;  Alexander  Henry, 
Junior ;  John  Macgillivray  ;  James  McKenzie  ;  Simon  Fraser ;  John  Duncan 
Campbell ;  David  Thompson  ;  and  John  Thomson.  On  the  part  of  the  X. 
Y.  the  signers  were  :  (Sir)  Alexander  McKenzie ;  Thomas  Forsyth  ;  John 
Richardson  ;  John  Forsyth  ;  John  Ogilvie  ;  James  Forsyth  ;  John  Inglis ;  John 
Mure  ;  Alexander  Ellice — bourgeois  agents  of  certain  firms  ;  and,  as  bourgeois 
winterers  :  Pierre  de  Rocheblave  ;  Alexander  McKer.zie  ;  John  McDonald  ; 
James  Leith ;  John  Willis ;  and  John  Haldane.  The  convention  being  made 
in  November,  when  the  winterers  (hivernants)  were  away,  nearly  all  their  signa- 
tures were  by  their  attorneys.  This  important  convention  continued  in  force 
until  i8ai,  when  the  famous  N.  W.  Co.  finished  its  career  as  a  separate  organi- 
zation by  absorption  into  the  still  more  celebrated  H.  B.  Co. — one  of  the  long- 
est4ived  and  most  powerful  commercial  monopolies  in  the  world's  history.    Ths 


256 


REFLECTIONS  ON   THE  SITUATION. 


, 


time  for  a  change  on  this  river.  The  country  being  almost 
destitute  of  beaver'  and  other  furs,  and  the  Indians increas* 
ing  in  number  daily  from  the  Red  Lake  and  Fond  du  Lac 
country,  the  X.  Y.  had  been  lavish  of  their  property,  selling 
very  cheap  ;  and  we,  to  keep  the  trade  in  our  own  hands, 
had  been  obliged  to  follow  their  example.  Thus,  by  our 
obstinate  proceedings,  we  haJ  spoiled  the  Indians.  Every 
man  who  killed  a  few  skins  was  considered  a  chief  and 
treated  accordingly ;  there  was  scarcely  a  common  buck  to 
be  seen ;  all  wore  scarlet  coats,  had  large  kegs  and  flasks, 
and  nothing  was  purchased  by  them  but  silver  works, 
strouds,  and  blankets.  Every  other  article  was  either  let 
go  on  debt  and  never  paid  for,  or  given  gratis  on  request. 
This  kind  of  commerce  had  ruined  and  corrupted  the 
natives  to  such  a  degree  that  there  was  no  bearing  with 
their  insolence;  if  they  misbehaved  at  our  houses  and  were 
checked  for  it,  our  neighbors  were  ready  to  approve 
their  scoundrelly  behavior  and  encourage  them  to  mischief, 
even  offering  them  protection,  if  they  were  in  want  of  it. 
By  this  means  the  most  notorious  villains  were  sure  of 
refuge  and  resources.  Our  servants  of  every  grade  were 
getting  extravagant  in  their  demands,  indolent,  disaffected 

list  of  N.  W.  and  X.  Y.  signers  is  found  in  Masson,  I.  p.  89,  with  several  mis- 
prints ;  it  may  be  checked  ibU.,  II.  p.  483  seq.,  where  the  important  document 
appears  nearly  in  full,  in  English.  Those  who  were  present  in  Montreal  and 
actual  signers  appear  to  have  been  :  Alexander  McKenzie  ;  John  Rich- 
ardson ;  John  Forsyth  ;  John  Ogilvie  ;  John  Gregory  ;  William  Macgillivray  ; 
William  Hallowell  ;  Koderic  McKenzie  ;  the  rest  being  represented  by  their 
attorneys. 

^  Among  the  causes  of  extermination  of  the  beaver  must  be  reckoned  a  certain 
epidemic  disease  ;  thus  Tanner,  p.  104:  "  Some  kind  of  distemper  was  pre- 
vailing among  these  animals,  which  destroyed  them  in  vast  numbers.  I  found 
them  dead  and  dying  in  the  water,  on  the  ice  and  on  the  land  ;  sometimes  I 
found  one  that,  having  cut  a  tree  half  down,  had  died  at  its  roots  ;  sometimes 
one  who  had  drawn  a  stick  of  timber  half  way  to  his  lodge,  was  lying  dead  by 
his  burthen.  Many  of  them,  which  I  opened,  were  red  and  bloody  about 
the  heart.  Those  in  large  rivers  and  running  water  suffered  less  ;  almost  all  of 
those  that  lived  in  ponds  and  stagnant  water,  died.  Since  that  year  the  beaver 
have  never  been  so  plentiful  in  the  country  of  Red  River  and  Hudson's  Bay,  a» 
they  used  formerly  to  be." 


THE  MERRY,  M    .1RY   MONTH  0»'  MAY. 


as7 


toward  their  employers,  and  lavish  with  the  property 
committed  to  their  charge.  I  am  confident  that  another 
year  could  not  have  passed  without  bloodshed  between  our- 
selves and  the  Saulteurs.  This  would  certainly  have  caused 
a  critical  situation,  as  those  fellows  are  all  so  connected 
that  to  injure  one  is  to  injure  the  whole.  Of  this  I  was 
well  aware,  and  always  avoided  pushing  matters  to  extremi- 
ties, at  the  same  time  not  allowing  myself  to  be  imposed 
upon. 

In  the  month  of  May  all  the  Indians  were  camped  at  our 
fort,  drinking  and  making  the  grand  wabbano  ;  they  were  as 
troublesome  and  extravagant  as  usual,  the  principal  cause 
of  which  was  my  neighbor.  Cr^bassa  persisted  in  telling 
them  that  the  report  concerning  the  coalition  was  false,  and 
that  next  year  the  X.  Y.  would  be  stronger  than  ever,  with 
double  the  number  of  canoes,  etc.  In  this  manner  he 
played  the  cheat  to  the  last  moment,  when  he  was  obliged 
to  send  all  the  remainder  of  his  property,  utensils,  horses, 
and  summer  men  over  to  my  fort,  on  ^he  embarkation. 
The  consequence  of  this  mean  dissimulation  was  that  he 
got  himself  despised  by  the  natives,  and  in  the  end  had  a 
narrow  escape  for  his  life  from  Pegouisse,*  who  certainly 
would  have  murdered  him  had  I  not  interfered. 

Fifteen  tents  of  Assiniboines  followed  Mr.  Langlois  from 
the  hills  this  spring  and  encamped  at  my  fort  with  the  Saul- 
teurs. In  the  first  drinking  match  a  murder  was  committed 
in  an  Assiniboine  tent,  but  fortunately  it  was  done  by  a 
Saulteur.     L'Hiver  stabbed  Mishewashence  to  the  heart 

*No.  II  of  the  list,  p.  53,  no  doubt  the  identical  Indian  Tanner  calls  Be. 
gwa-is.  Thus,  p.  161  :  "  I  joined  some  Red  River  Ojibbeways,  under  a  chief 
called  Be-gwa-is,  (he  that  cuts  up  the  beaver  lodge.)"  Again,  "  our  friend  Be- 
gwa-is,"  "  a  kind,  good  man,"  had  his  nose  bitten  off — inadvertently,  it  would 
seem,  from  Tanner's  account,  p.  165 — by  Tanner's  brother,  Wa-me-gon-a-biew, 
whose  own  nose  had  just  been  bitten  off  by  old  Ta-bush-shish.  Pegouisse  or 
Be-gwa-is  must  have  been  a  stoical  as  well  as  a  genial  philosopher ;  fur  he 
"  never  for  a  moment  betrayed  anything  like  anger  or  resentment.  .  .  '  I  am 
an  old  man,'  said  he,  '  and  it  is  but  a  short  time  that  they  will  laugh  at  me  for 
the  loss  of  my  n9se.' "  .  . 


'-•-....  i."^»,^. 


258 


MURDER— WIDOWHOOD— ORPHANAGE. 


three  times,  and  killed  him  instantly.  The  wife  and  chil- 
dren cried  out,  and  some  of  my  people  ran  to  the  tent  just 
as  L'Hiver  came  out  with  the  bloody  knife  in  his  hand,  ex- 
pecting  we  would  lay  hold  of  him.  The  first  person  he 
met  was  William  Henry,  whom  he  attempted  to  stab  in  the 
breast;  but  Henry  avoided  the  stroke,  and  returned  the 
compliment  with  a  blow  of  his  cudgel  on  the  fellow's  head. 
This  staggered  him ;  but  instantly  recovering,  he  made  an- 
other attempt  to  stab  Henry.  Foiled  in  this  design,  and 
observing  several  coming  out  of  the  fort,  he  took  to  his 
heels  and  ran  into  the  woods  like  a  deer.  I  chased  him  with 
some  of  my  people,  but  he  was  too  fleet  for  us.  We  buried 
the  murdered  man,  who  left  a  widow  and  five  helpless 
orphans,  having  no  relations  on  this  river.  The  behavior  of 
two  of  the  youngest  was  really  piteous  while  we  *vere  bury- 
ing the  body ;  they  called  upon  their  deceased  father  not  to 
leave  them,  but  to  return  to  the  tent,  and  tried  to  prevent 
the  men  from  covering  the  corpse  with  earth,  screaming  in 
a  terrible  manner ;  the  mother  was  obliged  to  take  thorn 
away.* 

May  2$th.  Embarked  for  the  Forks.  22d.  Sent  the 
brigade  off,  and  Mr.  Harrison.  Went  on  horseback  to 
Riviere  la  Souris.  Made  three  trips  to  Portage  la  Prairie. 
Delayed  embarking  until  June  9th,  when  I  left  the  Forks 
in  a  light  canoe,  with  six  men,  and  on  the  20th  arrived  at 
Kamanistiquia,  after  a  passage  of  only  12  days.  This  was 
extraordinarily  expeditious,  and  I  shallaTways  suppose 
that  a  single  well-mounted  canoe  can  make  the  voyage 
in  a  shorter  time  than  several  canoes  together.  Notwith- 
standing all  their  hurry  and  bustle,  I  overtook  my  brigade 
below  the  last  rapids,  at  the  storehouse ;  had  I  been  an  hour 
later,  they  would  have  got  in  before  me. 

*  The  seamy  side  of  the  fur-tnde  which  Henry  show*  us  with  such  a  steady 
hand  that  we  can  scarcely  follow  him  with  unshaken  nerves  is  simply  hell  on 
earth — hell  peopled  with  no  souls  above  a  beaver-skin,  fired  by  King  Alcohol 
for  the  worship  of  Mammon.  And  worse  than  anything  that  has  preceded  is  to 
come  in  the  very  next  chapter— not  mere  murder  by  retail,  but  wholesale  slaughter. 


),i^i^t;^siW3»fei*tl&^g^fei^a 


NELSON— BETIIUNK— CALDWELL.  259 

UTURNI  or  LOWBK  RSI)  RIVIR  OIPARTMINT,    1804-0).** 


Tin  Camok. 


'!' 

•s 

10 

% 

3« 

118 
6,711 

4« 
10 


B««v<n,  4,000  lb* 

Black  baan 

Brown   do  

Orluly  do 

WolvM 

PoxM,  r«d,  lUvtr,  and  crotMd. 

Kitit 

Raccooni 

rithm 

Olian 

Martcni 

MinkR 

Wolverene* 

I.ynxtt 

Dreucd  mooeo  and  blche 

Shaved  parchment   do   

Muthralt 

Buffalo  robe* 

Badgen 


■44  Paclci  of  90  Ibt  each. 


Jl 


les  Bag!  of  pemmican,  90 
14  Kcgt  of  beef 

m  '^         fnnalia  . 


lb*,  each. 


10 

10 

7 
i 


tongue . 
*ugar., 
grea»e , 
gum... 


•94 
1* 


•4 
>4 

'I 
8 

3,600 
3 


S^J 


I 


»j 


648 


188 

9» 
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II 
68 
«5 
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36 


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4 
II 


as 

100 


350 

"i 
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18 
s» 

NO 

146 

3 
9 

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16 


150 

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8 


4 

a87 
34 


40 
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la 


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aoo 

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■4 


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«4 


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30 

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36 
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64 
3 

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II 
I 

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16 


44 
14 
10 
10 
7 
3 


'*  The  names  in  this  table  have  all  b*en  acccounted  for,  except :  Geo.  Nelson 
is  listed  as  a  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Lake  Winnipeg,  1804,  but  seems  to  have 
been  promoted  that  year,  as  we  find  him  in  the  capacity  of  clerk  this  season  of 
1804-05.  The  same  was  in  charge  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  house  on  Moose  I.,  near 
Cumberland  House,  in  Sept.,  1819,  when  he  went  to  the  relief  of  poor  Benja- 
min Frobisher,  whose  tragic  end  was  one  of  the  most  shocking  in  all  the  annals 
of  the  fur-trade :  see  the  account  of  his  sufferings  elsewhere  in  my  notes. — The 
only  Bethune  of  whom  I  have  a  mem.  is  Angus,  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,who  reached 
Astoria  with  J.  G.  McTavish  and  others  in  Sept.,  1813. — James  Caldwell,  clerk 
N.  W.  Co.,  went  to  the  Mandans  with  Charles  McKenzie  from  the  Assiniboine, 
starting  June  4th,  1806,  and  we  shall  find  him  there  in  due  course,  when  Henry 
meets  him  at  Le  Borgne's  village,  July  aist,  1806. 


•1../-.^.. 


■4 


I 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  PEMBINA  RIVER  POST,  CONTINUED  :    1805-06. 

•i^AMANISTIQUIA,  July  13th,  1805.  Sent  off  the 
"^  Lower  Red  River  brigade,  i^th.  Embarked ;  my 
canoe  was  loaded  with  14  pieces,  exclusive  of  my  baggage 
and  six  r.ien.  At  Little  Lake  la  Pluie  I  took  on  board  two 
pieces  more.  jist.  Reached  the  Forks.  Sent  a  man  up 
the  Assiniboine  by  land. 

Aug-.  1st.  Embarked  with  a  fair  wind,  which  blew  a  gale 
from  the  N.,  but  kept  under  sail — ^about  three  feet  hoisted. 
2ii.  In  the  afternoon,  arrived  at  Panbian  river,  having  had 
an  extraordinary  breeze  all  the  way.  This  may  be  called  a 
passage  of  22  days  from  Kamanistiquia,  and  I  believe  that, 
with  such  lading,  it  is  impossible  to  perform  the  voyage  in 
less  time. 

Here  I  received  the  unwelcome  news  that  the  Sioux  had 
fallen  upon  a  small  camp  of  my  Indians  on  Tongue  river, 
not  many  miles  from  the  fort,  on  the  3d  of  July,  and  killed 
and  taken  prisoners  14  persons — men,  women,  and  children. 
My  beau-p^re  was  the  first  man  that  fell,  about  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  He  had  climbed  a  tree,  to  see  if  the  buffalo 
were  at  hand,  as  Ihey  were  tented  there  to  make  dried  pro- 
visions. He  had  n«  sooner  reached  the  top  than  two  Sioux 
discoverers  fired  at  the  same  moment,  and  both  balls  passed 
through  his  body.  He  had  only  time  to  call  out  to  his 
family,  who  were  in  the  tent  about  100  paces  from  him. 
"  Save  yourselves  !  the  Sioux  are  killing  us !  "  and  fell  dead 
to  the  ground,  his  body  breaking  several  branches  of  the 
the  tree  as  it  dropped.  The  noise  brought  the  Indians 
out  of  the  tent ; .  when,  perceiving  their  danger,  the  women 
and  children  instantly  ran  through  the  plains  toward  an 

afio 


»5>.-. ....>•■  _>'•-'».. »^ -—■-*"• -r—''  ' 


THE   TONGUE   RIVER  MASSACRE. 


261 


le 

r 
In 

In 


island  of  wood  on  Tongue  river,  about  a  mile  distant,  and 
on  a  direct  line  toward  the  fort.    The  men  took  their  arms 
and  made  off  also,  keeping  in  the  rear  of  their  women  and 
children,  whom  they  urged  on.     The  four  surviving  men 
had  not  gone  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  when  they  saw 
the  main  body  of  the  war  party  on  horseback  rushing  down 
upon  them.    Crossing  Tongue  river,  and  in  a  few  moments 
coming  up  with  them,  the  Sioux  began  to  fire.    The  four 
men  by  expert  manoeuvres  and  incessant  fire  prevented  the 
enemy  from  closing  in  on  them,  while  the  women  and  chil- 
dren continued  to  fly,  and  the  men  followed.    They  were 
within  about  200  paces  of  the  wood,  and  some  of  the  most 
active  had  actually  entered  it,  when  the  enemy  surrounded 
and  fell  upon  them.  Three  of  the  Saulteurs  fled  in  different 
directions  ;  Grande  Gueule  escaped  before  they  were  com- 
pletely surrounded,   but  the  other  two  were  kuled.    The 
one  who  remained  to  protect  the  women  and  children  was 
a  brave  fellow — Aceguemanche,  or  Little  Chief ;  he  waited 
deliberately  until  the  enemy  came  very  near,  when  he  fired 
at  one  who  appeared  to  be  the  chief,  and  knocked  the 
Sioux  from  his  horse.     Three  young  girls  and  a  boy  were 
taken  prisoners ;  the  remainder  were  all  murdered,  and 
mutilated  in  a  horrible  manner.     Several  women  and  chil- 
dren had  escaped  in  the  woods,  where  the  enemy  chased 
them  on  horseback ;  but  the  willows  and  brush  were  so 
intricate  that  every  one  of  these  escaped.    A  boy  about  12 
years  old,  whom  a  Sioux  pursued,  crawled  into  a  hollow 
under  a  bunch  of  willows,  which  the  horseman  leaped  over 
without  perceiving  him.    One  of  the  little  girls  who  escaped 
tells  a  pitiful  story  of  her  mother,  who  was  killed.     This 
woman,  having  two  young  children  that  could  not  walk  fast 
enough,  had  taken  one  of  them  on  her  back  and  prevailed 
upon  her  sister-in-law  to  carry  the  other.    But  when  they 
got  near  tiie  woods  and  the  enemy  rushed  upon  them  with 
hideous  yells  and  war  whoops,  the  young  woman  was  so 
frightened  that  she  threw  down  the  child,  and  soon  over- 
took the  mother ;  who,  observing  that  the  child  was  missing, 


••% 


262 


A   SCENE  OF  HORROR. 


and  hearing  its  screams,  kissed  her  little  daughter — the  one 
who  relates  the  story — saying,  with  tears  streaming  from 
her  eyes :  "  Take  courage,  my  daughter !  try  to  reach  the 
woods — and  if  you  do,  go  to  your  eldest  sister,  who  will 
be  kind  to  you ;  I  must  turn  back  and  recover  your  younger 
sister,  or  die  in  the  attempt — take  courage — run  fast,  my 
daughter ! "  Poor  woman !  she  actually  did  rec  'rr  her 
ciiild,  and  was  running  of!  with  both  children,  when  she 
was  felled  to  the  ground  by  a  blow  on  the  head  with  a  war 
club.  She  recovered  instantly,  drew  her  knife,  and  plunged 
it  into  the  neck  of  her  murderer ;  but  others  coming  up, 
she  was  dispatched.  Thus  my  belle-m&re  ended  her 
days. 

The  surviving  man  having  reached  the  fort,  my  people 
went  out  the  next  day  to  the  field  of  battle,  where  a  horri- 
ble spectacle  was  presented.  My  beau-p&re's  head  was 
severed  from  his  body  even  with  the  shoulders,  his  right 
arm  and  left  foot  were  cut  off,  his  right  leg  from  the  knee 
stripped  of  the  skin,  and  all  carried  off.  In  the  plain  lay 
the  bodies  of  the  women  and  children,  within  a  few 
yards  of  one  another,  and  the  remains  of  Aceguemanche, 
he  who  had  fought  so  bravely,  lay  near  his  wife  and 
children.  The  enemy  had  raised  his  scalp,  cut  the 
flesh  from  the  bone,  and  taken  away  the  skull  for  a 
water-dish ;  his  limbs  were  severed  from  his  body,  and 
only  the  trunk  remained,  with  the  belly  and  breast  ripped 
up  and  thrown  over  the  face ;  his  private  parts  had  been 
cut  off  and  crammed  into  his  dead  wife's  mouth.  She 
was  also  butchered  in  a  shocking  manner  and  her  children 
were  dismembered  and  thrown  in  different  directions. 
All  the  bodies  were  stuck  full  of  arrows,  and  there  were 
found  also  many  old  knives,  two  or  three  broken  guns, 
some  war  clubs,  broken  bones,  etc.  The  bodies  of  the  other 
men  were  found  at  the  entrance  of  the  woods,  butchered  in 
the  same  shocking  manner.  There  was  a  spot  of  ground 
in  the  long  grass  near  the  remains  of  Aceguemanche,  where 
it  was  plain  to  be  seen  that  a  person  had  fallen  from  his 


A  HENRY  AND  TANNER  CONCORDANCE. 


263 


eople 
horri- 
d  was 
right 
:  knee 
lin  lay   , 
a  few 
anche, 
[e  and 
it    the 
for  a 
ly,  and 
ripped 
been 
She 
Ihildren 
ctions. 
•c  were 
guns, 
e  other 
ered  in 
ground 
:,  where 
om  his 


horse  and  lay  bleeding  for  some  time,  but  the  body  of  this 
Sioux  could  not  be  found.' 

On  my  return  all  was  grief  and  lamentation ;  and  at  sight 
of  me  it  broke  out  afresh  with  such  sobs  and  cries  that  I 
almost  wished  I  had  not  been  so  expeditious  on  my  voyage. 
The  Saulteurs  were  assembled,  preparing  for  war  and  only 
waiting  for  the  Assiniboines  and  Crees  to  join  them ;  a 
number  of  Saulteurs  are  also  awaiting  them  above  this 
place ;  they  will  form  a  party  of  about  300  men,  mostly 
mounted.     I   gave  them  a  nine-gallon  keg  of  gunpowder 

'  Tanner  tells  the  identical  story  unmistakably,  p.  137  seq.    We  thus  get  an 
exact  date  to  check  his  narrative,  and  can  even  identify  some  of  the  Sioux  who 
fell  upon  Henry's  Indians.     Tanner  begins  with  :  ' '  After  we  had  killed  and 
dried  lai^e  quantities  of  meat,  we  erected  a  sunje'gwun,  or  a  scaffold,  where  we 
deposited  as  much  as  we  thought  would  supply  the  wants  of  our  women  in  our 
absence.     Before  we  had  entirely  finished  the  preparations  for  our  journey,  we 
were  fallen  upon  by  a  war-party  of  about  200  Sioux,  and  some  of  our  people 
killed."    Tanner  then  speaks  of  a  certain  "chief  of  the  Ojibbeways,"  saying 
that  "  he  went  up  into  an  oak  tree  that  stood  near  his  lodge,  to  look  out  over 
the  prairie  for  buffaloe,  and  in  descending  he  was  shot  from  below  by  two  young 
men  of  the  Sioux."    "  Now,"  continues  Tanner,  "  the  trampling  of  horses  was 
heard,  and  the  men  who  were  with  the  chief  had  scarce  time  to  run  out  of  the 
lodge,  when  the  200  Sioux,  on  their  horses,  were  at  the  door.     One  of  the  two 
runners  who  had  come  forward,  and  had  been  concealed  in  the  hazle  bushes, 
was  an  uncle  of  Wah-ne-taw,  at  present  [i.  e. ,  when  Tanner  was  telling  the  story 
to  Dr.  James,  many  years  afterward]  a  well-known  chief  of  the  Yanktongs,  and 
the  party  was  led  by  his  father.     Wah>ne-taw  himself  was  of  the  party,  but  was 
then  less  distinguished  than  he  has  since  become."     This  is  the  Wanotan  of 
whom  we  hear  so  much  in  Long,  and  whose  portrait  forms  the  frontispiece  of 
Keating's  Vol.  I.  1834.     Tanner  goes  on  to  say  :  "  The  fight  continued  during 
the  day  ;  all  the  Ojibbeways,  about  ao  in  number,  were  killed,  except  Ais-ainse 
(the  little  clam,)  a  brother  of  the  chief,  two  women,  and  one  child.     Mr.  H., 
the  trader  at  Pembinah,  gave  the  Ojibbeways  a  ten  gallon  keg  of  powder,  and 
100  pounds  of  balls,  to  pursue  after  the  party  that  had  killed  the  chief,  his 
father-in-law."    This  establishes  the  identification  of  the  two  stories,  and  we 
see  that  Henry  and  Tanner  corroborate  each  other  in  every  essential  particular. 
As  to  the  war  party  raised  to  avenge  the  massacre.  Tanner  was  a  member  of  it, 
and  tells  about  it  more  particularly  than  Henry  does  (Sept.  4th  and  27th,  p. 
265).     He  says  it  started  400  strong,  but  that  100  Ojibbeways  deserted  the  first 
day  out  from  Pembinah  ;  and  that  by  the  time  they  reached  Lake  Traverse,  the 
number  was  diminished  to  about  120 — three  half-breed  Assinneboins,  about 
20  Crees,  as  many  Ottawwaws  (Tanner's  own  band,  under  Peshauba),  and  the 
rest  Ojibbeways.     His  story  continues,  pp.  140-43,  q.  v. 


>f  •  «U  -*>  ■»■■: 


I' 


264    henry's  wife's  father's  and  mother's  end. 

and  100  pounds  of  balls,  to  encourage  them  to  revenge  the 
death  of  my  beau-p^re  and  his  family.  At  this  they  said 
among  themselves  that  I  had  "  almost  as  much  sense  as  an 
Indian  ";  and  if  I  had  added  a  few  kegs  of  rum  I  should 
have  been  considered  fully  as  wise  as  themselves.  This 
manner  of  comparing  a  white  man  to  an  Indian  is  the 
highest  compliment  they  can  pay.  Let  no  white  man  be 
so  vain  as  to  believe  that  an  Indian  really  esteems  him 
or  supposes  him  to  be  his  equal.  No — they  despise  us 
in  their  hearts,  and  all  their  outward  professions  of  respect 
and  friendship  proceed  merely  from  the  necessity  under 
which  they  labor  of  having  intercourse  with  us  to  procure 
their  necessaries. 

On  the  day  after  my  arrival,  I  went  out  with  Mr.  Lang- 
lois  to  view  the  field  of  battle,  and  collected  the  bones  in 
a  heap.  My  beau-p&re  was  the  only  one  buried ;  his  body, 
having  laid  in  the  shade,  was  not  in  such  a  state  of  corrup- 
tion as  those  in  the  plain,  exposed  to  the  hot  sun.  When 
my  people  first  came  here  they  could  not  approach  the 
bodies  to  inter  them.  The  wolves  and  crows,  therefore, 
answered  that  purpose.  I  gathered  up  the  remaining  bones 
of  my  belle-mfere  in  a  handkerchief.  We  followed  the  Sioux 
road  until  we  came  to  the  place  where  they  had  stopped  to 
divide  the  spoils,  put  on  new  shoes,  and  prepare  for  flight. 
We  found  the  camp  very  extensive,  and  by  the  number  of 
small  painted  sticks,  such  as  they  generally  leave  behind 
after  a  fight,  we  judged  the  party  to  have  consisted  of  about 
300  men,  with  a  great  many  horses.  Many  old,  worn-out 
shoes  were  lying  about. 

I  remained  at  Panbian  river  until  Aug.  loth,  when  I  em- 
barked and  returned  to  Bas  de  la  Riviere  with  a  cargo  of 
grease  for  Lake  Winipic.  Happening  to  meet  my  brigade 
just  as  I  neared  Pointe  au  Sable,  at  the  entrance  of  Wini- 
pic river,  I  unloaded  my  cargo  and  returned. with  them. 
Camped  at  Isle  k  la  Biche ;  men  raised  wattap.  Next  day 
we  made  the  entrance  of  Red  river,  and  went  thence  to  the 
Forks,  where  we  were  ten  days  amusing  ourselves,  and  wait- 


WORD  FROM  THE  WAR  PARTY. 


36$ 


I  cm- 
krgo  of 
brigade 

Wini- 

thcm. 
day 

to  the 
Id  wait- 


ing for  the  H.  B.  people  ;  for  I  did  not  choose  to  reach  my 
new  quarters  before  the  war  party  rf  ^rned  and  dispersed, 
and  everyone  was  settled  in  winter  quarters.  This,  I  knew, 
would  save  me  great  expenses.  We  caught  great  abundance 
of  sturgeon  and  all  other  kinds  of  fish  peculiar  to  this  river 
— much  more  than  my  people  could  consume.  Wild  fowl 
were  plenty  about  the  entrance  of  Red  river  and  on  Dead 
river.  Plums  were  ripe,  and  the  men  daily  gathered  loads 
of  that  delicious  fruit. 

Aug.  27th.  We  arrived  at  the  Forks,  having  seen  the 
H.  B.  boat  in  Sault  k  la  Bic.e. 

Aug.  2gth.  j.  McKenzie  of  the  H.  B.  Co.  passed  up  the 
Assiniboine  with  three  boats,  and  Thomas  Miller  with  two 
boats  up  Red  river,  bound  for  Panbian  river.  30th.  The 
Upper  Red  River  brigade  arrived,  and  passed  on  directly. 
We  amused  ourselves  fishing ;  and,  having  ordered  a  num- 
ber of  horses  down  from  my  place,  I  kept  some  of  my 
people  hunting  buffalo  toward  the  upper  part  of  Riviere 
Sale.  I,  however,  started  on  the  canoes  with  the  outfit  for 
Portage  la  Prairie. 

Sept.  4th.  I  received  information  that  the  war  party 
had  left  Panbian  river,  all  in  one  body,  on  the  27th  ult. 
During  our  stay  here  we  took  a  number  of  excellent  white- 
fish  in  our  small  nets.  The  women  gathered  great  quan- 
titles  of  hazelnuts,  but  the  mice  made  it  almost  impossible 
to  preserve  them.  Chokf  cherries,  wild  red  cherries,  Panbian 
plums,  grapes,  etc.,  all  abound.  2tst.  Fire  set  to  the 
grass  in  the  plains  toward  the  S.,  we  suspect  by  the  war 
party.  2jth.  An  express  arrived  on  horseback  to  inform 
me  they  had  returned ;  but,  as  I  expected,  with  empty 
hands.  They  had  been  to  Chief  mountain  and  found  a 
camp  of  Sioux  of  30  tents ;  but  while  preparing  to  attack 
them,  the  enemy  escaped.    [Story  in  full  in  Tanner,  p.  140.] 

Sept.  28th.  I  sent  off  the  canoes.  2gth.  Reached 
Portage  la  Prairie  on  horseback. 

Oct.  2d.     Set  off  for  Panbian  river  with  Le  Sueur,'  Hu- 

'  So  copy— no  doubt  the  Toussaint  Lesieur  already  noted,  p.  35. 


.-..•«  «,,"*' 


266 


ARRANGEMENTS  FOR  THE  SEASON. 


li 


}:>^'- 


Jf 


neau,'  and  wife.  Fire  in  the  plains  in  every  direction ; 
burned  our  horses'  feet  passing  throu|;h  the  smoldering  turf. 
Slept  at  Beaulieu's*  tent  on  Sale  river,  jd.  Set  off; 
camped  at  the  foot  of  the  traverse  on  this  river.  Awoke 
about  4  a.  m.  next  morning  and  found  six  inches  of  snow 
on  our  blankets.  We  lay  in  the  open  plain,  exposed  to  the 
storm,  which  continued  with  great  violence  from  the  N.  E. 
At  daybreak  we  took  shelter  in  the  woods  along  the  river, 
and  made  a  cabin  with  elm  bark ;  not  a  mouthful  to  eat. 
On  the  5  th  the  storm  had  abated,  but  left  nearly  a  foot  of 
snow  on  the  ground,  with  a  strong  crust,  and  made  it  tedious 
traveling  for  our  horses.  However,  I  set  out.  Killed  two 
buffaloes,  and  at  sunset  overtook  my  brigade  at  Riviere  aux 
Marais ;  they  were  starving  with  cold  and  hunger. 

^Oct.  6th.  We  all  arrived  at  Panbian  river,  where  we 
found  that  the  H.  B.  people  were  building,  and  about  8o 
Indians  anxiously  awaiting  my  arrival,  in  expectation  of 
getting  as  much  rum  as  usual ;  but  they  were  mistaken.  I 
immediately  drew  up  an  agreement  with  Mr.  Miller ;  we 
divided  our  Indians,  I  taking  good  care  to  keep  the  best 
hunters  for  myself,  and  settled  matters  so  as  to  keep  them 
from  cheating  us.  I  turned  Tabashaw  over  to  my  neighbor, 
and  positively  refused  to  have  anything  more  to  do  with 
him.    On  the  7th  Indians  began  to  decamp,  finding  it  was 


•  So  copy — no  further  record  found. 

*  Beaulieu  is  a  very  old  name  in  these  annals.  A  half-breed  family  of  that 
name  was  found  on  Slave  r.  when  the  N.  W.  Co.  first  reached  it,  in  or  about 
1778,  showing  prior  presence  of  the  French  so  far  as  this.  Frangois  Beaulieu, 
one  of  that  family,  bom  in  the  region,  was  one  of  the  six  voyageurs  who  started 
with  (Sir)  A.  McKenzie  for  the  Pacific  May  9th,  1793,  from  the  place  where  the 
party  had  wintered  on  Peace  r. ;  he  was  baptized  by  Mgr.  Tachd  in  1848,  then 
supposed  to  be  over  70  years  old,  and  died  Nov.,  1872,  almost  a  centenarian. — 
The  Beaulieu  of  the  text  is  Joseph,  listed  as  voyageur  contre-maftre  N.  W.  Co., 
Lower  Red  r.,  1804. — Basile  Beaulieu,  from  Montreal,  was  a  voyageur  N.  W. 
Co.  in  1804-05,  at  Lac  de  Flambeau  (Torch  1.),  Minn. — One  Beaulieu,  given 
also  as  Bolieu,  and  never  with  Christian  name,  was  one  of  three  men  under  Mr. 
Quesnel  at  the  Rocky  Mountain  house  on  the  Saskatch.  r.  when  Thompson 
arrived  there,  Oct.  nth,  1806  ;  he  went  with  Thompson  into  the  Rocky  mts., 
where  we  hear  of  him  at  various  points,  1807-11. 


GOOD   RESOLUTIONS— OUTPOSTS— DEAD  SIOUX.      267 


of  that 
Lr  about 
(eaulieu, 

.  started 
[here  the 
Ls,  then 
larian. — 
[w.  Co., 

Ir  N.  W. 

^u,  given 

i\der  Mr. 

Ihompson 

pky  mts.. 


in  vain  to  plague  me  for  liquor.  They  had  done  their 
utmost;  some  had  flattered  and  even  caressed*  me,  some 
had  threatened  mischief,  and  others  said  they  would  not 
hunt;  but  all  to  no  purpose,  as  I  was  determined  they 
should  not  taste  a  drop  while  they  lay  idle  at  the  fort, 
though  I  gave  them  their  debts  and  other  necessaries,  as 
usual.  On  the  8th  I  sent  off  the  boats  for  Grande^ 
Fourches  with  eight  men,  including  Messrs.  Cr^bassa, 
Cadotte,  and  Le  Sueur.  This  is  the  only  outpost  I  shall 
make  on  Red  river  this  year.  At  Portage  la  Prairie  are 
two.  Mr.  Wilkie  and  St.  Germain  go  to  Prairie  en  Longue ; 
Antoine  Desjarlaix,  to  Lac  des  Chiens  [Dog  lake] ;  and 
Mr.  L.  Dorion  and  T.  Vaudry,  to  Portage  la  Prairie.  Men 
finished  gathering  potatoes,  but  the  crop  has  failed  owing 
to  the  excessive  heat,  which  scorched  everything  early  in 
the  season.  I  had  only  400  bushels.  On  the  loth  we  were 
plagued  with  Grandes  Oreilles,  Le  Premier,  as  great  a  scoun- 
drel as  ever  walked,  who  is  here  with  his  band,  and  very 
troublesome.  He  makeo  menaces,  but  to  no  purpose, 
having  lost  ground  with  ui,  and  been  obliged  to  come  to 
our  measures,     iitk.    The  ground  was  clear  of  Indians. 

Oct.  13th.  Some  of  my  people,  who  were  hunting  buf- 
falo, came  upon  the  remains  of  the  Sioux  killed  in  last 
summer's  fight,  and  left  by  his  people  in  the  plains,  not  far 
from  the  Big  island  on  Tongue  river.  He  had  been  ar- 
ranged with  all  the  ceremonies  due  to  a  great  war  chief, 
but  the  wolves,  crows,  and  vultures  had  despoiled  him  of  all 
the  habiliments,  feathers,  and  other  decorations.     However, 

•The  hamlet  of  Deer  River,  Minn.,  consists  largely  of  two  rival  saloons 
and  some  less  reputable  houses,  where  the  lumberjacks  live  or  resort  when  not 
engaged  in  their  arduous  occupations.  Liquor  is  sold  openly  to  Indians  in 
defiance  of  law,  and  it  is  the  express  boast  of  the  place  that  no  U .  S.  marshal 
dare  show  himself  there.  I  remember  seeing  exactly  what  Henry  describes  : 
a  drunken  Indian  who  had  been  swaggering  and  staggering  about  town  till  he 
had  spent  his  last  cent  for  whisky,  groveling  in  a  heap  on  the  ground,  hugging 
the  knees  of  a  man  and  begging  piteously  for  "  just  one  more  drink,"  with  the 
maudlin  tears  streaming  down  his  cheeks.  We  do  not  seem  to  have  improved 
the  Ojibways  much  between  Henry's  time  and  ours. 


I  ■f^*«»-'»<  .•»■ «~ 


^11  im 


^ 


i 


268     REFORMING  INDIANS— DEATH— SEVERAL  PERSONS. 


Iv" 


they  brought  me  two  handsome  redstone  pipes,  two  gar* 
nished  stems,  and  a  small  hair-trunk,  containing  medicines. 

Our  Indians  in  the  beginning  attempted  their  old  tricks, 
coming  into  the  houses  every  two  or  three  days  to  beg  for 
free  rum,  but  they  were  soon  convinced  there  was  no  longer 
an  X.  Y.  Co.  to  spoil  and  support  them  in  idleness.  They 
saw  the  need  of  hunting  to  procure  their  necessaries,  and 
accordingly  dispersed  in  places  where  a  few  skins  were  still 
to  be  had,  whilst  others  labored  hard  to  make  dried  provi- 
sions ;  thus  all  went  well,  and  we  were  little  troubled  with 
them.  We  obliged  them  to  pay  their  debts,  and  not  a 
drop  of  rum  was  given  to  drink  at  the  fort. 

Oct.  i6tA,  jyth.  Great  snowstorms,  with  a  gale  from 
the  N.  £.;  an  extraordinarily  early  winter.  i8th.  Botti- 
neau's son,  a  boy  about  seven  years  of  age,  died  of  a  swell- 
ing of  the  be^ty  and  costiveness.  An  hour  before  he 
expired  the  swelling  disappeared  entirely,  and  we  were 
in  hopes  he  would  recover;  clysters  and  purges  had  no 
effect  whatever.  2i5t.  Joseph  Plante  *  arrived  from  Mon- 
tagne  k  la  Bosse.    26th.     Pelletier,^  Desjardins,"  Bos  Pang- 


*  Several  of  this  name,  but  not  quite  so  many  as  appear  in  the  lists,  because 
some  are  duplicated  as  La  Plante. — Alexis  Plante,  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Nepi- 
gon,  1804. — Antoine  Plante,  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Red  Lake  Dept.,  1804. — 
Charles  Plante  was  on  Willamette  r.,  in  Oregon,  in  1835. — ^Joseph  La  Plante 
appears  as  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Fort  Dauphin,  1804  :  the  same,  as  voyageur  N. 
W.  Co.,  English  r.,  1804  ;  the  Joseph  Plante  of  above  text  is  found  with  Henry 
at  Pembina  in  1807-08,  besides  being  accounted  for  this  present  1805-06 ; 
but  Joseph  Plante,  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  wintered  in  1805-06  in  the  Rat  River 
country,  under  orders  of  David  Thompson,  who  sent  him  to  the  old  N.  W.  Co. 
house  on  Reed  1.  These  four  Josephs  are  apparently  two  persons,  the  first  and 
third  being  one,  the  second  and  fourth  another. — Louis  Plante,  voyageur  N. 
W.  Co.,  Rat  River  country,  1804. — Louis  Auguste  Plante,  voyi^eur  N.  W. 
Co.,  Fort  des  Prairies  on  the  Saskatchewan,  1804.  One  La  Plante,  who  was  on 
Peace  r.  with  Thompson  in  the  winter  of  1803,  is  very  likely  Louis  Auguste. — 
Pierre  Plante,  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  English  r.,  1804. 

*  The  name  of  this  freeman  reappears  as  Antoine  Peltier,  witness  in  the 
Semple  case  at  Toronto,  Oct.,  1818  ;  very  likely  the  same  person  as  one  Peltier 
of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  at  Pine  fort,  on  the  Assiniboine,  Oct.,  1793.— Jean  Baptiste 

Pelletierand  Louis  Pelletier  were  voyageurs  N.  W.  Co.,  Nepigon,  1804. 

*  This  freeman  was  still  at  Pembina  May  12th,  1806.     He  is  probably  the 


PETER   PANGMAN— NEW  ARRIVALS. 


269 


in  the 

Peltier 

BapUste 

04. 
ibly  the 


man,*  and  others,  arrived  from  the  Assiniboine — X.  Y. 
freemen,  the  first  of  the  kind  who  ever  came  to  Panbian 
river,  and  as  great  a  nuisance,  according  to  their  capacities, 
as  their  former  employers.  This  quarter  has  hitherto  been 
free  from  men  of  that  description,  as  I  made  it  a  rule  never 
to  give  a  man  his  freedom  in  this  country  on  any  con- 
ditions whatever,  and  I  have  always  found  the  benefit  of 
such  procedure. 

Oct.  joth.  My  Assiniboine  chief  arrived  with  a  young 
Saulteur,  Nawicquaicoubeau,  who,  having  been  long  mar- 
ried to  an  Assiniboine  woman,  Wu:  perfectly  well  ac- 
quainted with  their  language.  They  wanted  me  to  send 
people  to  the  hills  to  trade,  which  I  would  not  do,  giving 
them  many  plausible  reasons ;  they  were  soon  satisfied  and 
promised  to  bring  in  their  hunt  themselves.  After  the 
gates  were  closed,  I  gave  them  a  quart  of  rum ;  they  drank 

same  as  one  Dejadon,  given  as  wintering  at  Portage  la  Prairie  1 794-95.  in 
opposition  to  William  McKay  of  the  N.  W.  Co..  and  very  likely  also  same  as 
one  De  Jardin  of  the  X.  Y.  Co.,  mentioned  by  Thompson  in  the  Reed  Lake 
country,  fall  of  1804.  No  full  name  appears  in  any  of  these  instances  ;  the 
surname  should  also  be  found  as  Dujardin. 

*  Bostonnais  Pangman,  clerk  N.  W.  Co.  in  charge  of  Pembina  post  when  cap- 
tured by  H.  B.  Co.,  Mar.  30th,  1816.  The  surname  is  the  same  as  that  of  Peter 
I'angman,  one  of  the  most  noted  characters  in  the  beginnings  of  the  N.  W.  Co., 
whose  restless  energies  were  a  large  factor  in  shaping  events.  He  went  to  Grand 
Portage  in  the  spring  of  1784,  as  a  member  of  the  company  who  had  a  claim  to 
partnership.  But  no  provision  for  this  having  been  made  in  the  organization  of 
the  company,  he  went  to  Montreal  with  Peter  Pond,  who  was  also  dissatisfied,  to 
persuade  Gregory,  McLeod  &  Co.  to  form  with  them  an  opposition  company. 
Pangman  prevailed  upon  the  firm  to  support  him  in  this  enterprise,  but  Pond 
almost  immediately  withdrew  from  it,  accepted  terms  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  and  thus 
rejoined  his  former  associates.  Pangman  and  John  Ross  proceeded  to  estab- 
lish a  post  for  G.,  McL.  &  Co.,  at  Grand  Portage,  in  the  spring  of  1785.  He 
somewhat  later  went  to  Fort  des  Prairies,  on  the  Saskatchewan,  and  while  in 
that  far  West  had  the  honor  of  being  the  first  white  man  known  to  have  reached 
the  Rocky  mts.,  or  in  sightofjhein  ;  for,  in  1790,  he  carved  his  name  on  a  tree, 
and  "  Pangman's  tree"  became  a  historical  landmark.  Both  Thompson  and 
Henry  speak  of  examining  it,  many  years  later.  It  was  a  pine  which  stood  on 
the  Saskatchewan,  about  \ja.  above  the  Rocky  Mountain  house.  Pangman 
left  the  company  in  1793,  bought  the  seigneury  of  Mascouche,  and  settled 
there  ;  he  was  the  father  of  Hon.  John  Pangman. 


^*^^»*lV4H^-*-W*.W%  ^■^... 


mmmm 


V 
I 

i:  I 


\\  :^-\ 


li  f' 


270 


DRUNKEN  ORGIES. 


very  quietly.   I  sat  up  with  them  in  the  hall  until  ten,  when, 
desiring   Langlois  to  take  care  of  them,  I  went  to  bed. 
About  two  I  awoke  at  the  report  of  a  gun  in  the  hall,  and 
William  Henry  rushed  in  to  tell  me  that  Nawic.  had  shot 
Duford.     I   sent   him  to  detain  the  Indian,  and  desired 
Langlois  to  come  to  me.     I  wished  to  be  informed  of  the 
particulars  before  going  to  see  the  Indian,  as  I  determined 
he  should  pay  for  it  with  his  life.     But  Langlois  related  the 
following  story :     He  sat  up  with  them   until  midnight, 
when  he  went  to  bed,  leaving  them  quietly  enjoying  their 
liquor.     He  did  not  go  to  sleep,  wishing  to  overhear  the(r 
private  conversation,  and  thus  learn  their  real  intentions, 
as  we  still  doubted  whether  they  would  bring  their  hunt 
here  or  to  Riviere  la  Souris.    They  conversed  first  about 
hunting  and  then  in  what  manner  they  would  bring  in  their 
provisions,  etc.;  then  on  their  war  excursion  of  last  fall,  and 
Nawic.  accused  the  party  in  general  of  cowardice,  whilst  he 
boasted  of  his  own  bravery  and  former  exploits,  saying  the 
Sioux  were  only  brave  in  great  numbers,  and  that  man  to 
man  they  were  cowards  and  old  women,  who  never  dared 
face  a  Saulteur.     During  this  discourse  they  sang  their  war 
songs,  recounted  their  exploits,  and   performed  the  man- 
oeuvres usual  in  battle.     These  repeated  exertions  so  agi- 
tated their  minds,  and  the  fumes  of  liquor  had  taken  such 
effect,  that  they  were  transported  to  a  degree  of  frenzy. 
They  could  not  remain  seated  on  their  epishemaunts  on  the 
floor,  but  attempted  to  rise  up,  and,  as  they  supposed,  to 
fight  their  battles  over  again  in  pantomime.     The  chief 
reeled  about  for  a  few  moments  and  then  fell  dead  drunk, 
but  the  other  fellow  staggered  about  the  hall  for  some  time. 
His  gun  and  bow  and  arrows  were  lying  near  him,  but  he 
performed  all  his  antics  with  his  pipe-stem  instead  of  his 
weapons.    The  candle  having  burned  down,  and  the  fire 
nearly  gone  out,  the  room  became  dark.     Langlois  went 
outdoors  while  the  Indian  was  still  tumbling  about,  scarcely 
able  to  stand. 

Langlois  soon  returned,  and  on  entering  the  room  heard 


^.AtfWtVkv.M^.^ 


FATAL  RESULT. 


371 


the  Indian  uttering  hideous  yells  and  bawling  out :  "The 
bad  dogs !  I  see  them — there  they  are — come  on,  friends — 
don't  flinch — take  courage — revenge  the  death  of  our  rela< 
tions ;  come  on,  I  say — have  at  tliem — fire  I  "  Langlois 
was  passing  him,  when  suddenly  the  gun  went  of!  so  near 
his  face  as  to  singe  his  hair;  he  heard  the  Indian  fall,  but 
the  darkness  prevented  his  seeing  anything.  At  the  same 
moment  he  heard  Duford  fall  in  his  cabin,  calling  out,  "  Oh ! 
Mr.  Michel,  I  am  killed."  The  Indian  as  soon  exclaimed, 
"What  have  I  done?  What  is  the  matter?"  When  the 
candle  was  lighted,  Duford  was  found  lying  in  his  room,  by 
his  bedside,  weltering  in  \>lood  ;  the  Indian  was  seated  with 
his  head  between  his  legs ;  and  one  of  our  own  guns  was 
lying  upon  the  floor.  It  was  a  fine  gun,  with  extremely 
weak  springs,  and  had  been  known  repeatedly  to  go  off  in 
handling  it  carelessly.  One  of  my  people  had  been  out 
shooting  pheasants  the  day  before,  and  returned  late  in  the 
evening,  after  the  Indians  had  begun  to  drink ;  he  had 
placed  this  gun  inside  Duford's  cabin,  close  to  the  door. 
The  Indian,  although  very  drunk,  on  seeing  the  mischief 
he  had  done  fell  a-crying  and  lamenting,  assuring  the  by- 
standers that  he  did  not  do  it  intentionally,  and  that,  if  they 
were  of  a  different  opinion,  they  were  welcome  to  kill  him — 
he  was  ready  to  die — they  might  strike,  as  he  knew  he  de- 
served death.  I  then  went  to  Duford  and  inquirer!  the 
particulars;  he  related  nearly  the  same  story,  with  this 
addition,  that  the  Indian,  in  tumbling  about  the  hall,  had 
fallen  near  his  room  and  pulled  down  a  blanket:  which 
Duford  had  hung  up  to  serve  instead  of  a  door.  It  was 
supposed  his  hand  closed  upon  the  gun  by  accident,  as 
Duford  said  the  Indian  fell  backward  into  the  room.  When 
the  latter  had  recovered  himself  and  was  staggering  about 
in  the  dark,  Duford  got  up  to  fasten  th;  blanket,  not  a 
word  having  passed  between  them  ;  he  secured  one  corner 
with  an  awl,  spread  out  the  blanket,  and  was  fastening  the 
other  comer  with  an  awl  also,  when  suddenly  the  shot  was 
fired  through  the  blanket.    On  mature  deliberation,  I  felt 


273 


DUFOKI)   KILLED. 


Il 


li 


i 


I 


that  I  could  not  punish  the  fellow  with  death,  as  it  ap- 
peared tome  that  it  was  plainly  an  accident;  for  had  he  been 
maliciously  inclined,  he  naturally  would  have  used  his  own 
gun,  that  stood  near,  primed  and  loaded  with  ball.  Duford, 
who  understands  the  language  very  well  and  had  not  slept 
a  moment  on  account  of  the  noise,  had  overheard  the  same 
conversation  which  Langlois  related.  On  examining  the 
wound,  I  found  the  shot  had  entered  the  groin,  making  a 
hole  that  appeared  to  descend  along  the  thigh-bone,  so  as 
not  to  fracture  it ;  the  whole  charge  seemed  to  be  lodged  in 
one  mass,  about  lo  inches  deep.  From  the  direction  of 
the  shot  it  was  plain  that  the  gun  must  have  gone  off  in  an 
awkward  position  and  not  with  any  premeditated  design. 
The  Indian  remained  seated  upon  the  earth,  entirely  naked, 
with  his  head  between  his  legs,  every  moment  expecting  to 
have  his  brains  knocked  out ;  but  I  could  not  suppose  him 
guilty  of  premeditated   murder. 

Next  morning  he  was  perfectly  sober,  but  afraid  to  see 
me ;  he  sent  word,  before  he  went  away,  that  he  should 
always  remember  me,  and  be  thankful  for  the  charity  I  had 
done  him  in  giving  him  his  1  e.  He  sincerely  lamented 
the  unfortunate  afTair,  and  assured  me  it  was  not  done 
designedly.  It  is  true  he  is  a  bad  Indian  who  has  killed 
three  of  his  own  relations ;  but  he  never  before  had  hurt 
a  white  man.  All  that  he  can  recollect  is  that,  when 
the  gun  went  off,  he  imagined  himself  in  pursuit  of  a 
Sioux,  with  his  weapons  in  his  hands.  At  nine  o'clock 
on  the  31st,  they  set  off,  to  all  appearances  sad  and  sor- 
rowful. 

This  morning  the  wounded  man  was  very  weak  from  loss 
of  blood,  which  could  not  be  stanched  till  late  in  the 
evening.  He  sent  for  me  to  ask  pardon  for  all  his  past 
offenses,  perceiving  he  was  approaching  his  end,  poor  fel- 
low !  I  felt  very  much  for  him,  and  freely  forgave  him  the 
few  tricks  he  had  played  on  me. 

Nov.  ist.  This  morning  the  men  supposed  him  much 
better  and  in  a  fair  way  of  recovering,  but  from  the  symp- 


cow   CAUGHT— ECLIFSE— ORGIES  CONTINUED.       273 

toms  I  observed  I  concluded  death  was  drawing  near,  and 
so  hinted  to  him  ;  his  behavior  was  truly  penitent.  At  ten 
o'clock  his  senses  left  him  ;  he  lay  in  a  torpor  until  2  p. 
m.,  when  he  expired  without  a  groan.  2d.  We  buried  the 
corpse.  6th.  Chased  buffalo  on  horseback  with  William 
Henry;  killed  two  cows.  8th.  Assiniboines  arrived  to 
trade,  with  great  ceremonies,  flags  flying  and  guns  firing. 
i$th.  A  terrible  snowstorm  ;  buffalo  passing  northward  in 
as  great  numbers  as  ever  I  saw  them,  and  within  100  yards 
of  the  fort.     i8th.    The  Crees  stole  four  horses. 

At  daybreak  I  was  awakened  by  the  firing  of  guns  in  the 
fort.  I  ran  to  the  window,  and  pulling  the  curtains  aside, 
perceived  my  people  dispatching  a  cow  at  the  foot  of  my 
gallery.  Some  of  the  women,  on  going  out  very  early,  had 
neglected  to  shut  the  gate  when  they  returned ;  and  this 
cow,  in  coming  from  the  plains,  had  fallen  upon  our  meat 
road,  and  followed  it  until  she  entered  the  gate,  when  the 
dogs  instantly  flew  at  her  and  prevented  her  escape. 

Dec.  1st.  My  men  go  daily  for  buffalo  meat  to  the  hun- 
ter's tent,  three  miles  distant,  with  15  to  20  horse  travailles, 
and  return  with  30  cows ;  in  this  manner  our  winter  stock 
is  being  rapidly  completed.  i8th.  My  library  caught  fire, 
but  it  was  soon  extinguished,  with  the  loss  only  of  a  few 
pamphlets  and  newspapers. 

Jan.  4th,  1806.  We  observed  an  eclipse  of  the  moon  at 
half-past  four  p.  m.,  which  continued  until  nine  o'clock. 
My  cooper  began  to  make  quarter-casks  for  salt  beef,  and 
my  wheelwright  to  make  wheels.  ////.  Old  Wabasha 
died  of  cancer  in  the  neck.  We  take  from  40  to  50  fish 
daily. 

Feb.  gth.  Men  and  women  have  been  drinking  a  match 
for  three  days  and  nights,  during  which  it  has  been  drink, 
fight — drink,  fight — drink,  and  fight  again — guns,  axes,  and 
knives  their  weapons — very  disagreeable. 

Feb.  ijth.  Cautoquoince  arrived  from  above,  and  in- 
formed us  that  the  Americans  had  landed  a  party  of 
soldiers    at    Leech    lake,    but    he    does   not    know    the 


mm 


274 


ARRIVALS— NEWS  OF  LIEUTENANT  PIKE. 


■! 


particulars."  Pishawbey  "  passed  on  his  way  to  Otter  Tail 
lake.  i^tA.  Messrs.  Chaboillez  and  A.  McGillis  arrived 
from  Fort  Dauphin,  and  Messrs.  Wilkie  and  Dorion  from 
Portage  la  Prairie.  26tA.  The  gentlemen  off  for  their 
posts.  22d  [sic].  Allard'*  and  Bottineau  returned  with 
their  stolen  horses,  after  a  narrow  escape  from  being  killed 
by  the  Crees. 

Mar.  jd.  My  blacksmith's  woman  ran  away  with 
Charlo."  8th.  Her  ladyship  very  ill,  etc.  12th.  White 
Loon,  a  Cree  boy,  died  of  consumption,  aged  about  1 5  years. 

Mar.  ijth.  Roille  '*  and  Descarrie  [Descarreau  of  May 
18,  1804]  arrived  from  Leech  lake,  with  letters  from  Mr. 
Hugh  McGillis,  informing  us  that  a  party  of  American 
soldiers  had  arrived  at  his  place  in  February  last,  com- 
manded by  Lieut.  [Zebulon  Montgomery]  Pike ;  their 
headquarters  were  [not]  at  L'Aile  du  Corbeau  [Crow  Wing 
river],  and  their  errand  was  to  oblige  us  to  pay  the  usual 
duties  at  Mackinac  for  trading  in  American  territories. 
iph.  All  my  people  laid  up  snow-blind,  with  sore  eyes, 
occasioned  by  the  continual  storms  and  drifts.  2^th.  As- 
tonishing numbers  of  chicken-hawks  flying  from  S.  to  N., 
very  high  in  the  air.  Jist.  The  Indians  saw  three  fallow 
deer  [^Cariacus  virginianus],  and  killed  one — the  first  of 
the  kind  ever  seen  in  this  quarter. 


*o  For  all  these  particulars,  see  Pike,  ed.  1895,  p.  153  and  following.  Lieut. 
Pike  and  Private  Miller  reached  Hugh  McGillis'  N.  W.  Co.  house  on  Leech  L 
at  10  p.  m.,  Saturday,  Feb.  1st,  1806,  and  the  rest  of  the  party  about  4  p.  m,, 
Feb.  6th. 

"  Again  an  identification  to  be  made  with  Tanner,  who  has  much  to  say  of 
"  Pe-shau-ba.  who  was  chief  of  the  band  of  Ottowwaws,  to  which  I  belonged," 
p.  139.  This  Peshauba  was  one  of  the  war  party  which  left  Pembina  Aug. 
37th,  1805,  to  avenge  the  stroke  the  Sioux  had  made. 

'*  Probably  Ambrose  Allard,  listed  as  a  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Lower  Red  r., 
after  the  fusion  of  1804  ;  but  at  the  same  time  there  was  a  Pierre  Allard  on 
Lake  Winnipeg. 

"  So  copy  :  but  the  only  Charlo  to  whom  we  have  hitherto  been  introduced 
was  dying  on  p.  161,  dead  on  p.  167,  and  duly  lamented  on  p.  168. 

'*This  is  the  man  Pike  names  '/  Reale"  at  date  of  Feb.  71st,  1806,  in  his 
itinerary,  p.  174  of  the  ed.  of  1895  :  see  also  there,  p.  938. 


ff    ^■' 


EXPRESS— DEATH  OF  HUGHES. 


275 


I.  in< 


Apr.  5th.  My  man  finished  two  new  carts  and  made  a 
wheelbarrow,  nth.  The  North  West  Annual  Winter 
Express  arrived  from  Athabasca.  L'Hiver  hamstrung  his 
young  wife  to  prevent  her  gossiping  about ;  the  rascal  cut 
the  tendons  of  both  heels,  and  made  several  gashes  across 
the  wrist,  while  she  attempted  to  defend  herself.  12th. 
Express  off  for  Leech  lake,  with  William  Henry  and  four 
men.  Men  making  blockhouses.  13th.  Dreadful  snow- 
storm.   23d.    Ice  broke  up  in  Red  river. 

May  ist.    Great  banks  of  snow  still  lying  on  the  edge 
of  the  woods.    This  certainly  has  been  the  most  extraordi- 
narily cold  and  stormy  weather  I  have  ever  experienced  on 
Red  river.    4th.    A  deluge  of  rain ;  our  stores  flooded,  and 
the  property  damaged,    ^th.     M.  Langlois  and  Lambert 
came  with  a  cart  for  the  remains  of  the  deceased  Bortif  to 
bury  at  the  fort,  being  a  particular  of  his  relations  \sic\.    gth. 
Buffalo  grazing  in  abundance  westward,   nth.   Boats  arrived 
from  Grandes  Fourches — Mr.  Cr^bassa.    13th.  Sowed  pota- 
toes.    14th.  One  of  the  H.  B.  boats  off,  taking  40  pieces  for  \ 
me  to  the  Forks ;  sent  one  of  my  boats  also,  with  the  first 
trip  of  122  bags  of  pemmican.     I  sowed  three  quarts  of 
oats.      i8th.     Mr.   Miller  off  with  all  his   H.  B.  people. 
Mosquitoes  very  numerous.    23d.    William  Henry  arrived 
from    Leech   lake,  with    a  cargo  of    sugar.      Indians  all 
camped.     Pishaubey    arrived    with  Washegamoishcam  in 
two  wooden   canoes  from   Pelican  river  [branch  of  Red 
river],  with  300  beavers  and  40  prime  otters.    They  had 
seen  Sioi^x  repeatedly,  but  always  avoided  them.    26th. 
Assiniboines  arrived  and  camped.    28th.   Red  Lake  Indians 
arrived — Grand  Noir  and  his  son-in-law,  the  scoundrel  who 
killed  one  of  our  men  last  spring,  at  Red  lake — an  Amer- 
ican named  Hughes.     The  Indian  came  on  purpose  to  kill 
Geoi^e  Simpson,  who  was  in  charge.     Hughes,  who  was 
standing  by  the  door,  saw  that  the  Indian  was  inclined  to 
do  mischief.      He   therefore   caught    up   a  tent-pole  and 
gave  the  fellow  a  blow  on  the  head,  which  staggered  him  ; 
but  the  Indian,  on  recovering  himself,  shot  Hughes  dead. 


2^6 


FROM   PEMBINA  TO   BAS  DE  LA  RIVI&RE. 


This  was  the  second  affair  of  the  kind  at  this  place,  two 
years  in  succession  ;  in  each,  an  Indian  intended  to  kill  the 
master,  but  the  blow  fell  upon  another  man.  Grand  Noir 
brought  a  paqueton  [bundle]  of  beavers,  to  induce  me 
to  show  charity  to  his  son-in-law.  All  the  principal  men 
in  camp  came  with  him,  but  the  murderer  was  not  to  be 
found.  I  kicked  the  skins  out  of  the  house  and  would 
listen  to  none  of  their  speeches,  telling  them  that  if  I  could 
see  the  murderer  he  would  be  a  dead  man,  and  that  no 
number  of  skins  could  pay  for  the  blood  of  one  of  our 
murdered  servants. 

This  day  I  sent  off  my  boats  and  canoes  for  the  Forks, 
so  heavily  loaded  they  could  scarcely  swim.  2ptA.  I 
embarked,  leaving  William  Henry,  Mr.  Langlois,  and  four 
men  at  the  fort.  Dreadful  numbers  of  mosquitoes. 
Arrived  at  the  Forks.    Upper  Red  River  brigade  passed. 

/unf  1st.  Went  to  Portage  la  Prairie  to  settle  that  place  ; 
left  there  Mr.  D.  [L.  Dorion]  and  T.  [Toussaint  Vaudry] 
and  two  men.  jd.  Returned  to  the  Forks.  pA.  Played 
with  J.  McKenzie  of  the  H.  B.  Co.,  with  drum,  fife,  etc., 
and  drank  out  a  ten-gallon  keg  of  brandy.  jtA.  H.  B.  Co. 
off  in  three  boats ;  in  the  afternoon  we  embarked  also.  StA. 
Arrived  at  Bas  de  la  Riviere  and  camped  at  the  Gallois  above. 

June  gth.  The  Upper  Red  River  canoes  passed  ;  H.  B. 
Co.  boats  also. 

June  loth.  Sent  off  my  canoes  for  Kamanistiquia ;  5  men 
and  22  sacks  per  canoe;  passengers:  Messrs.  Alexander 
Wilkie,  John  Cr^bassa,  Antoir^e  Desjarlaix,  Joseph  St.  Ger- 
main, Augustin  Cadotte,  Toussaint  Le  Sueur,  and  Pierre 
Bonza;  Jean  Baptiste  Lambert,  guide;  four  taureaux'* 
per  canoe,  and  one  for  the  passengers. 


'*  Raw-hide  bi^s  to  hold  about  80  pounds  of  pemmican  ;  also,  such  a  quantity 
of  pemmican.  The  taureau  or  "  bull "  may  have  been  so  called,  as  made  of  buf- 
falo hide,  or  perhaps  for  the  same  reason  that  a  certain  mass  of  iron,  or  a 
certain  kind  of  steamboat,  is  called  a  "  pig."  "  I  cut  off  ao  sacks  or  taureaux 
to  put  pemican  in,  and  gave  them  to  Minie  to  sew,"  says  McDonnell,  Jan. 
r4th,  1794,  in  Masson,  I.  p.  387.     Compare  note  **,  p.  173. 


VARIOUS  BRIGADES  EN  ROUTE. 


277 


June  itth.  Lake  Winipic  brigade  passed — seven  men 
per  canoe.  I  returned  to  Bas  de  la  Riviere  in  a  small  boat, 
with  Plante  and  Hamel. 

June  ijth.  Messrs.  Ferguson  '*  and  Campbell  off*  in  a 
boat  in  the  lake. 

June  lyth.  Messrs.  McLeod  "  and  J.  McKenzie  "  arrived 
in  two  canoes  from  Athabasca. 


;rre 
i» 


Entity 
bttf- 
or  a 

\eaux 
Jan. 


'*  Alexander  Ferguson  or  Farguson  appears  as  an  employee  of  the  N.  W.  Co., 
in  1799  :  probably  not  the  Mr.  Ferguson  above  said. — "  Mr."  Ferguson  of  the 
N.  W.  Co.  arr.  at  Fort  Alexandria,  Sept.  ist,  1804,  from  Fort  Dauphin. 

"  Archibald  Norman  McLeod,  who  became  a  personage  in  the  N.  W.  Co. 
Thompson  names  "  Archibald  McCloud"  as  elk.  N.  W.  Co.,  "  for  Montreal," 
at  Grand  Portage,  July  2ad,  1797  ;  he  also  notes  that  "  Mr.  McCloud"  arrived 
at  Sault  Ste.  Marie  with  Alex.  McKenzie,  May  36th,  1798,  left  June  ist,  and 
arrived  at  Grand  Portage  June  7th.  He  was  a  proprietor.  Fort  Dauphin  Dept. 
in  1799,  and  in  charge  of  Swan  River  Dept.  in  1800.  He  left  Encampment 
isl.  in  Lake  Winnipegoosis,  Sept.  ist,  1800,  to  go  to  Lac  Bourbon  (present 
Cedar  1.,  on  the  Saskatchewan),  returned  Sept.  6th,  and  started  next  day  for 
Swan  r.  He  wintered  1800-01  at  Fort  Alexandria  on  the  Assiniboine,  and 
was  at  the  N.  W.  house  on  Swan  r..  May  30th,  1801,  en  route  to  Grand  Por- 
tage. He  returned  to  Fort  Alexandria,  Sept.  37th,  1801.  (See  these  dates  in 
Harmon,  who  says  that  Alexander  McLeod,  half-breed  son  of  A.  N.  McLeod. 
by  a  Rapid  Indian  woman,  was  in  his  fifth  year  in  July,  1801).  He  wintered 
there  or  thereabouts,  and  on  May  17th,  1803,  passed  Bird  Mountain  fort,  en 
route  to  Grand  Porti^e,  and  expected  to  go  to  the  Athabasca  Dept.  next. 
Doubtless  he  did  so,  as  Harmon  speaks  of  addressing  a  letter  to  him  there, 
Jan.  a7th,  1803.  On  July  I'^th,  1805,  he  was  en  route  from  Kaministiquia  to 
Athabasca ;  in  July,  1807,  ii  was  en  route  from  Athabasca  to  Kaministiquia. 
He  passed  Fort  Dunvegan  on  Peace  r.  Oct.  7th,  1809,  en  route  across  the 
Rocky  mts.  to  New  Caledonia  (British  Columbia). 

From  the  foregoing  is  to  be  distinguished  Alexander  McLeod,  who  was  also 
in  the  Athabasca  region  for  some  years.  His  activities  appear  to  be  of  earlier 
date  than  those  of  A.  N.  McLeod.  "  Mr."  McLeod  wintered  at  Fort  Chipe- 
wyan,  1789-90,  continuing  the  building.  Alex.  McLeod  was  found  by  Thomp- 
son on  the  Missinipi  June  13th,  1797,  en  route  for  Grand  Portage,  and  July 
aoth,  1797,  on  the  Height  of  Land  near  that  place.  "  Mr."  McLeod  arrived  at 
Grand  Portage  July  2d,  1798,  from  Athabasca  or  English  r.,  left  for  Athabasca, 
July  loth,  left  Rainy  Lake  house  July  23d,  left  Winnipeg  house  July  31st,  and 
was  on  the  Missinipi  Aug.  25th,  1798.  "A."  McLeod  was  at  the  fort  near 
the  forks  of  Peace  r.  Jan.,  1803,  and  went  below  with  Mr.  Stuart,  May  6th,  1803. 

"James  McKenzie  of  the  N.  W.  Co. — distinguish  from  J.  McKenzie 
of  the  H.  B.  Co.,  with  whom  Henry  had  such  a  good  time,  June  4th.  See 
note  ",  p.  3i6. 


278 


BLONDIN— JOHN   M'DONALD  OF  GARTH. 


f    I 


1. 


^'-. 


June  20th.  Blondin  '*  came  with  six  canoes  from  Peace 
river.    On  the  same  day,  also,  Mr.  John  McDonald**  and 

'*  Of  the  N.  W.  Co. ;  his  first  name  appears  on  none  of  my  memoranda. 
One  Blondin  is  mentioned  by  Thompson  on  the  Saskatchewan,  i8oo.  Blon- 
din's  house  is  given  by  Thompson  as  on  the  W.  end  of  Lesser  Slave  1.,  winter 
of  1803-04  (not  .0  be  confused  with  Blondish's  or  Blondishe's  house  on  the 
Assiniboine  below  Portage  la  Prairie,  1794). 

**  There  were  at  least  two  of  this  name  (besides  two  persons  named  John 
McDonnell).  Each  signed  the  Montreal  agreement  of  Nov.  5th,  1804,  by  hb 
attys.,  one  on  the  part  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  the  other  01^  the  part  of  the  X.  Y. 
Co.  Both  thus  became  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  both  were  in  the  far  Northwest  at 
the  same  time,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  separate  their  blended  records  for  a  few 
years.  John  McDonald  of  Garth,  as  he  came  to  be  known,  stands  out  con- 
spicuously  through  his  Autobiographical  Notes,  1791-1816,  in  Ma:sson,  II.  1890, 
pp.  1-S9.  These  are  of  extreme  interest  tind  historical  value  ;  unfortunately 
they  are  the  reminiscences  of  a  very  old  man  (dated  Mar.  36th,  1859),  <^n<l> 
besides  being  diffuse,  are  so  confused  in  dates  that  they  can  hardly  be  relied 
upon  within  a  year  or  two,  particularly  during  the  very  years  that  they  are  most 
blended  with  the  record  of  the  other  John  McDonald — say  1805-11,  during 
which  period  they  require  to  be  checked  by  other  records.  But  it  does  not 
appear  that  John  McDonald  of  Garth  was  ever  on  Athabasca  r. ;  and  there- 
fore  Henry's  mentior  is  undoubtedly  of  the  other  John  McDonald,  late  of  the 
X.  Y.  Co.— unless  we  assume  that  the  name  is  in  error  for  John  McDonnell. 

The  following  memoranda  from  the  Thompson  MS.  may  serve  to  check  some 
dates  :  John  McDonald,  clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  went  with  James  Hughes  to  Fort 
George  on  the  Saskatchewan  in  1797;  was  there  Sept.  i8th,  1798.  John 
McDonald  arrived  with  Thompson  at  Fort  George  at  8  a.  m.,  Sept.  5th,  1799, 
and  started  for  Fort  Augustus  next  day.  John  McDonald  was  at  Cumber- 
land House  Sept.  6th-9th,  1804.  John  McDonald  was  on  Kiviire  Maligne  June 
25th,  1805,  en  route  from  Slave  1.  John  McDonald  wintered  at  the  Rocky 
Mountain  house  and  in  that  vicinity  on  the  Saskatchewan,  1806-07  ;  started 
for  Fort  Augustus  Feb.  19th,  1807.  "J."  McDonald  was  at  Lower  Terre 
Blanche  or  White  Mud  house  on  the  Saskatchewan,  in  Sept.,  181 1,  and  "  Jo  " 
McDonald  was  nX  Thompson's  Kootenay  house  on  the  Columbia  in  Nov.,  181 1. 

John  McDonald  of  Garth,  nicknamed  "  Bras  Croche,"  from  a  deformity  of 
the  arm  from  an  accident  in  childhood,  was  a  small  maimed  persofl  of  great 
courage  and  immensely  effective  energies.  He  was  a  Scotch  Highlander,  b. 
1774,  came  to  Canada  1791,  Quebec  June  ist,  left  Lachine  about  June  15th,  and 
wintered  1791-93  under  Angus  Shaw  at  the  house  bu-iit  ty  the  latter  in  1789 
on  Lac  d'Orignal,  Beaver  River  waters ;  came  in  to  Orinu  Portage  1793,  and 
wintered  1793-93  at  thttt  Fort  George  which  Shaw  had  built  on  the  Saskatch- 
ewan in  1792.  He  was  back  and  forth,  1793-99,  wintering  at  Fort  George  for 
kh*:  most  part,  but  also  at  that  Fort  Augustus  on  the  Saskatchewan  which 
1798.  He  became  a  partner  in  the  N.  W.  Co.  in  1799 
Grand  Portage    July   15th,  1800  (see   Harmon,  p.   43),  win- 


/Shaw  built  in 
or   1800;    left 


C\^ 


\ 


|!! 


JOHN  OF  GARTH  AND  OTHER   M'DONALDS. 


279 


Mr.  Decoigne"  arrived  with  a  brigade  consisting  of  six 
Athabasca  river  canoes. 

tered  1800-01  on  the  upper  Saskatchewan,  and  summered  1801  with  Ducoigne 
at  Fort  Augustus.  In  i8oa  he  built  the  Rocky  Mountain  house  on  the  Sas- 
katchewan, near  the  mouth  of  the  Clearwater.  In  1803  he  came  in  to  Fort 
William  (Kaministiquia),  Daniel  McKenzie  was  sent  in  his  place,  and  he  went 
to  Montreal  "after  an  absence  of  la  or  15  years,"  he  says,  and  also  to  Boston, 
Mass.  In  1804  he  was  ordered  to  take  the  English  River  Dept.  in  place  of 
Donald  McTavish,  and  wintered  at  Isle  k  la  Crosse,  1804-05  (at  this  point  in 
his  Notes  he  mentions  the  otAtr  John  McDonald  as  taking  Daniel  McKenzie's 
place  with  James  Hughes  on  the  upper  Saskatchewan).  In  1805  he  returned 
to  the  Saskatchewan,  went  up  the  south  fork  to  the  mouth  of  Red  Deer  r., 
built  New  Chesterfield  house  there,  and  wintered  1805-06.  In  1806  we  find 
him  at  Montreal,  sick.  In  1807  he  took  charge  of  the  Red  River  Dept.  in 
place  of  "Big"  McDonnell ;  had  as  assistant  Alex  McDonnell;  built  Fort 
Gibraltar  at  the  site  of  present  Winnipeg ;  wintered  1807-08  on  the  Qu'Ap- 
pelle,  at  the  house  where  "  Big  "  McDonnell  had  been  for  some  years,  and  came 
in  to  Fort  William,  1808.  Hearing  that  Thompson  was  in  trouble  in  the 
Rocky  mts.,  he  organized  an  expedition  for  his  relief,  which  included  George 
J.  McTavish,  a  Mr.  McMillen,  and  the  bold  guide,  Joseph  Paul,  "an  old 
bully."  He  got  into  the  mountains,  and  certainly  wintered  ;  but  whether  this 
was  1808-09,  or  1809-10,  or  both,  is  obscure;  he  says  at  this  point  that  he 
has  "  been  blending  two  seasons  in  one,"  and  also  that  he  got  out  of  that 
country  in  the  spring  of  xSio;  but  he  nowhere  accounts  for  1811 :  compare 
Thompson's  mention  of  "J."  and"  Jo"  McDonald,  fall  of  1811.  He  was 
at  Fort  William  in  i8l3  ;  left  in  the  schooner  Beaver  :  went  to  Quebec  ;  left 
in  the  Isaac  Todd,  for  England ;  left  London  in  her  for  the  Columbia  r.  Feb., 
1813  ;  off  Rio  Janeiro  changed  to  the  ship  Essex,  and  later  to  the  ship  Rac- 
coon, Capt.  Black,  which  reached  Astoria  Nov.  30th,  1813.  Astoria  thereupon 
became  Fort  George,  which  he  left  Apr.  4th,  1814,  with  the  overland  party 
which  included  Gabriel  Franchire,  John  Stuart,  Donald  McKenzie,  etc.  He 
made  the  Rocky  Mt.  house  on  the  Athabasca  r.  May  17th ;  was  at  mouth  of 
Pembina  r.,  a  branch  of  the  Athabasca,  June  ist ;  went  up  the  Pembina  and 
over  to  Fort  Augustus  on  the  Saskatchewan,  which  he  descended  and  was  at 
Fort  William  in  July,  1814.  He  went  to  Montreal,  left  the  N.  W.  Co.  in  1816, 
and  settled  at  Garth,  Gray's  cr.,Glengary  Co.,  whei;ehedied,  aged86:  seep.  763. 

Some  other  McDonalds  may  be  conveniently  noted  here :  Alexander 
McDonald  is  listed  as  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  T804,  Lake  Winnipeg. — 
Allen  McDonald  was  a  clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  1804,  Fort  Dauphin. — Angus 
McDonald,  brother  of  John  of  Garth,  has  been  before  mentioned  ;  he  is  also 
noticed  by  Henry  at  Pembina,  1807-08. — Peter  McDonald  appears  as  voyageur 
contre-mattre  N.  W.  Co.,  1804,  Red  Lake  Dept. — Finan  or  Finnan  McDonald, 
clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  was  with  Thompson  at  various  places  on  the  upper  Saskatch- 
ewan,  in  the  Rocky  mts.,  and  on  headwaters  of  the  Columbia,  1806-12. 

*'  Fran9ois  Decoigne  or  Ducoigne,  of  whom  we  have  record  as  clerk  N.  W. 


28o       DECOIGNE — M'GILLIS— HALCRO — CATFISH   RIVER. 

June  2ist.  Messrs.  A.  McGillis,  Halcro,**  and  others  ar- 
rived from  Fort  Dauphin  with  5  canoes.  At  twelve  o'clock 
I  embarked,  and  camped  at  Catfish  river.** 

June  26th,  Entered  Red  river  with  26  small  canoes — 
men,  women,  and  children  repairing  here  for  the  summer  to 
live  on  fish.    Indians  sowing  corn  and  potatoes  at  Dead 

ABSTRACT  OP  PIECES    POR  NORTHWEST  OUTFIT,   KAMANISTIQUIA,    I805. 


Canoes. 

Pieces. 

Provisions. 

Total. 

Athabaica 

40 

1 

\ 
S 

\ 

s 

»3 

.S 
<4 

4 
3 
S 

a 

864 
70 

149 

7« 
«9.1 

95 
air 
•05 
"9 
STa 
aoo 

^ 
81 
70X 

1\ 
38 

4« 
9« 

S9 

«34 
4» 

V, 

a6 

"?:2 

English  River 

340 

Rat  River 

:;sh 

Lower  Fort  de*  Prairiei 

<54 

Upper  Red  River 

ago 

Lower  Red  River 

arc 

IS" 

Lake  Winipic 

Lac  la  Pluie 

X 

Hepigon 

Fond du  Lac • .•••••• 

40a 

Michel  Cadotte,  La  Pointe 

"3  , 

ioa;< 

LePic 

160 

Lac  de»  Chiens  and  Lac  Mille  Lact 

64 

156 

3.«9oJ< 

«.77" 

S.o6«5< 

Note. — The  com  is  included  in  the  provisions. 


Co.,  1 798-1 808  at  least ;  John  McDonald  of  Garth  has  much  to  say  of  him. 
Thompson  notes  him  at  Fort  George,  with  John  McDonald  and  Mr.  Jerome, 
Sept.  18th,  1798.  In  1799  he  was  in  the  Upper  Fort  des  Prairies  and  Rockjr 
Mt.  Dept.;  in  1804,  in  the  Athabasca  Dept.;  in  1808,  we  shall  hear  more  of 
him  in  Henry. — On  May  1st,  1799,  on  the  Athabasca,  at  mouth  of  Red  Deer 
r.,  Thompson  directed  "  Mr."  Ducoigne  to  build  at  mouth  of  Lesser  Slave  r. 
In  May,  1814,  "  Mr."  Decoigne  was  in  charge  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  house  on 
the  Athabasca,  .d  went  with  the  Franchire  party  to  Canada  ;  he  is  said  to  have 
been  that  way  19  years  before.  In  1818  one  Decoigne  was  an  old  N.  W.  Co. 
man  who  had  joined  the  H.  6.  Co.,  and  was  acting  agent  of  the  latter  in  the 
Athabasca  Dept.  These  records  all  seem  those  of  one  person.  The  name 
also  appears  as  De  Quoine,  and  by  misprint  De  Qoiue. 

**  The  correct  name,  whose  oddity  marks  it.  Mr.  Halcro  had  been  of  the 
X.  Y.  Co.  before  the  fusion  of  1804.  Thompson  speaks  of  him  as  such,  and 
mentions  that  he  left  Cumberland  House  June  22d,  1805,  as  passenger  in  a 
N.  W.  Co.  canoe  for  Kaministiquia.     Henry  has  more  to  say  of  him  beyond. 

'^  Present  Brokenhead  r.,  falling  into  the  S.  E.  end  of  Lake  Winnipeg  :  see 
note  ^,  p.  40.  So  Henry  is  not  going  in  to  Kaministiquia  this  year.  He  has 
turned  about,  en  route  back  to  his  post  at  Pembina. 


EN  ROUTE  BACK  TO   PEMBINA. 


38 1 


river.  Water  extraordinarily  high  and  continued  storms, 
which  breed  an  incredible  number  of  mosquitoes ;  obliged 
to  have  large  kettles  constantly  sir.ukui)(  lit  our  boat  to  keep 
them  away. 

RETURNS  OF  LOWKR  RBD  RIVKR  DKPARTMBNT,   1805-06. 


EiOHT  Canou. 


a 

i 
I 

it 


n 


I 


1,011 

••5 

49 

86a 

509 
15a 

3«» 

"1 
••45<> 

507 


".470 

74 

I 


Beavcn,  weighing  3615  lb* 

Black  bean...... 

Brown  b«an 

Griuly  bean 

WolVM 

Foxe*,  black,  »ilver,  red,  and  croii. 

Raccooni 

Filbert 

Otten 

Marteni 

Minki 

Wolverenes 

Drewed  moote  and  biche 

Parchment  and  thaved  do 

Muikrals 

Buffalo  robet 

B«aver  robe,  7  tkint 


116 
4« 
»S 

I 
ti 

75 

36 
53» 

93 

■o 
an 

io,Ms 


103 
6 

1 

5 
4 

13 

a6 

400 

130 

I 

>3 

ii4>8 


««4 

la 

a 

»3 

a 


83 

>7 
39 


34a 
«4 


310 

171 

75 

59 

»7 

4 

35 

I 

7 
7 


ia6  Packs  H. 

6Pack(... 

13a  Packi... 


18 

I 

>9 


a3s  Bags  of  Pemmican 
3,000  Iba.  Beat  meat. . . . . 

14  Kegs  grease 

S  Kegs  sugar. 


la 
3,000 


a4  Kegs  beef  packed  in  casks. 

0  Kegs  tongues 

5  Kegs  gum 

1  Keg  salt 

a  Kegs  small  bosses  [?] 


35 

•  • 

4 


776 

5» 

ao 

3 
"J 

% 
140 
loa 
«7» 
>4» 
i» 

'79 
54 

•3 


53 

5i 


I8S 

10 
3 

t 

5 
I 
a 


£3A6a  IS.  5d.  H.  Cy. 

**  "  Ft.  Wasp  Mount."  appears  to  be  an  error  of  the  copy,  correction  of 
which  escapes  me.  On  Oct.  8th,  1806,  we  are  told  in  text  that  Mr.  Wilkie  and 
J.  St.  Germain  were  to  go  to  Prairie  en  Longue. 

**  An  interpolation  which  I  cannot  adjust  for  the  printer,  and  therefore  strike 
out,  states  that  200  wolves,  120  kitts,  40  badgers,  and  so  skunks,  were  bartered 
with  Thos.  Miller  of  the  H.  B.  Co.  for  pemmican.  These  appear  to  have 
made  the  5  packs  Henry  reports  from  Pembina  (where  Miller  was);  which,  with 
the  one  in  the  same  line  Crtfbassa  brought  from  Grand  Forks,  make  the  6  of 
the  left-hand  column  ;  other  packs,  126  ;  total  packs,  132. 


i    k 


^1 


^1^ 


,.  t 


282  CENSUS  OF   1805— RETURNS  OF   1806. 

July  jd.    At  midnight  we  arrived  at  Panbian  river. 

KBPORT  or  NORTHWEST  POPULATION,   l80S. 


DlPAIITMBim. 


Athabaica 

Athabasca  Rivar 

Engliih  Rivar 

Rai  Rivar 

Fort  das  Prairiai 

Fort  Dauphin 

Uppar  Rad  Rivar ........ 

Lowar  Rad  Rivar 

UkaWinipie 

Lac  la  Pluia 

Fond  du  Lac 

Napigon 

Kamanistiauia ) 

Milla  Lacs  and  Lac  das  V 

Chians | 

UPic 


AMK  Co.  Man  *  Co.**  . 


Whitm. 

Indiami. 

Man. 

Woman. 

Children. 

Man. 

Woman. 

aoS 

4« 

>4 

[Not 

fivan.] 

^i 

IS 

40 

'A 

5S 

all 

^t 

.5 

7 

10 

-'" 

.,'° 

S9 

•3 

4i««3 

ij,6ja 

^ 

sa 

19 

«7 

S* 

Sa 

I1I70 

i,aao 

s 

40 

So 

160 

igo 

II 

«S 

90 

III 

4; 

10 

10 

103 

•«3 

taS 

90 

•9 

so 

50 
so 

% 

«a 

16 

3< 

70 

<4 

16 

a 

3 

44 

45 

1,090 

368 

S69 

7.SM 

««.99S 

Sao 

37 

3' 

i,6ie 

40s 

teo 

7.So» 

««.995 

Childran. 


66 

i,ioe 

■  so 

4Si9aA 

3« 

s.joo 

aso 
«94 
«9S 
Ii944 
»99 


■7« 

58 


5».«7« 


58,871 


NORTHWEST  RETURNS  OF  OUTFIT  OF  1805,  RECEIPTED  AT  KAMANISTIQUIA,  1806. 

Northwest  Country :  Packt. 

Athabasca  and  Salt  [n^—qu:  Slave?]  Lake,                        •  397 

Athabasca  River, 96 

English  River, 116 

Rat  River, 41 

Fort  des  Prairies 393 

Fort  Dauphin 80 

Upper  Red  River, 156 

Lower  Red  River, ia6 

Lake  Winipic,            137 

Lac  la  Pluie loa 

Lac  Mille  Lacs, 19 

Lac  des  Chiens, 9 

Kamanistiquia, 18 

**  In  this  census  the  Indian  wives  and  half-breed  children  appear  to  be 
enumerated  as  "  whites  ";  there  were  no  white  women  in  the  country.  The 
large  figures  for  "  Fort  des  Prairies"  would  appear  to  include  the  whole  upper 
Saskatchewan  region ;  there  was  more  than  one  establishment  so  called. 
"AMK  Co.  Men  &  Co."  is  puzzling;  but  the  monogram  makes  the  letters 
A.  M.  K.,  initials  of  Alexander  McKenzie  ;  and  the  X.  Y.  Co.  was  sometimes 
known  as  "Alexander  McKenzie  and  Co."  Furthermore,  Henry  often  alludes 
to  a  man  and  his  family  as  such  a  one  "  and  Co."  I  imagine,  therefore,  that 
the  phrase  means  simply  the  X.  Y.  Co.  men  and  their  wives  and  children.  The 
table  is  interesting  as  indicating  the  percentage  of  men  who  took  Indian  wives. 


\ 


rr 


f 

II: 


El!       ! 


RETURNS  OF  1806,  CONTINUED.  283 

Ntrthttstt  Lakt  Suftritr  :  Pmcki. 

Lake  Nepigon,           44 

Lac  da  Isles 58 

Monontagua 50 

LePic 86 

Michipicotton  and  Batchawoinan  Bay 64 

Stulh  Lakt  Superior  : 

Fonddu  Lac, i8a 

Folle  Avoine 44 

La  Points, 71 

Montreal  River 64 

9.353 
McKenzie  River  Outfit  o(  1804  (Returns  received  at 
Kamanistiquia  in  1806), 79 

Total  Returns  (packs  of  90  pounds  each),  3,33a 

Omleuls  of  the  above  »,»S3  ptuks  {returns  from  McKentie  River  not  being  in- 
cluded, as  tkey  belong  to  iSo^i,  via.  : 

Lmrgi  Skint.        Smmll  Skitu.      Poundt. 
Fine  Beavers,    .  33,438  li>403         41,830 

Common  Beaven, .  35*319  I3i438  49.433 

48,757              84.840         9i.a63 
Beaver  Coating, 3.565 

73,597  Beaver  Skins 94.837 

3.903      •*        " 5.ao4 

77.500  "  "  . 100,031 

51,033  Muskrats. 
40,440  Martens. 
4,011  Fine  Otters. 
3,133  Common  Otters. 
4,338  Minks. 
3,868  Fishers. 
1,131  Loup-Cvrviers. 
1,591  Large  Black  Bears. 
539  Cubs,      " 

373  Large  Brown  and  Grizzly  Bears. 
53  Cubs,        *•      •• 
390  Large  Bears,  damaged  and  staged. 

65  Cubs.   • 

4,065  Deer  Skins. 

3,497  Dressed  Orignal  Skins. 

3,508  Kitto. 

4,503  Wolves. 


mm 


384 


RETURNS  OF   1806,  CONTINUED. 


S8a  Wolve*,  bad. 

745  Raccooni. 

798  CarcaJouK. 
1,746  Red  and  Crou  Foaet. 
36  Silver  Foxes. 

173  Dressed  Cariboux  Skins. 

906  Deer  SIcitis,  damaged,  and  Biche  Skins,  staged. 

393  Parchment  and  Shaved  Orignal. 
1,135  Buffalo  Robes. 

Trtu/e  by  Mailloux  [Afilitwt  f]  at  A'amaniitifuia,  tSo6  : 
130  Beavers. 
3  Black  Bears. 

3  Black  Bear  Cubs. 
I  Brown  Bear. 

166  Martens. 
6  Loup-cerviera. 

8  Fishers. 

4  Foxes. 

9  Minks. 

3  Wolves. 
10  Raccoons. 
(6  Muskrats. 

6  Parchments. 

a  Doe  Parchments. 
38  Does  and  Cariboux,  drcuad. 
31 8  Orignals,  dressed. 
348  Buffalo  Robes. 

4  Leathet  Capots. 

68  Feathers  (pounds  of). 

MiihipitttUm  Tradt,  180b : 

3,766  Beaver  Skins,  weighing  3,388  ponndf. 
3,893  Muskrats. 
4,058  Martens. 
36  Otters. 
8  Minks. 
369  Loup-cerviert. 
75  Large  Black  Be^rs. 
3  Cubs,      " 
3  Large  Brown  Bean. 
3  Cubs,      •• 
67  Bears,  damaged  or  staged  [?]. 

I  Wolf. 
114  Raccoons. 
48  Foxes,  Red,  Cross,  and  Silver. 

KAiJANISTIQVIA.  Aug.  19th,  1806. 


i8o6. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  MANDAN  TOUR:     I806. 

JH^ONDAY,  July  7th,  1806.  During  the  three  days 
^^^  since  my  arrival  from  Bas  de  la  Rivifcre,  I  made 
the  necessary  preparations  for  my  intended  journey,  and 
this  morning  left  Panbian  river  with  two  men,  Joseph  Du- 
charme  and  Michel  Forcier.  Mr.  William  Henry  goes  with 
us  to  Portage  la  Prairie  for  a  supply  of  tobacco.  We  were 
all  well  mounted,  and  had  an  extra  horse  for  my  baggage. 
At  the  Grand  Marais  we  met  Vieux  Collier  [Old  Necklace] 
going  to  the  fort  with  a  load  of  dried  provisions.  At  ten 
o'clock  we  crossed  Riviere  aux  Marais,  unloaded,  and 
allowed  the  horses  an  hour  to  eat  and  refresh  themselves, 
after  which  we  remounted  and  proceeded.  We  were 
plagued  with  clouds  of  mosquitoes.  I  had  made  a  kind  of 
mask  of  thin  dressed  caribou '  skin,  to  cover  the  head  and 
face,  and  thus  was  more  at  ease  than  my  companions,  who 
could  scarcely  defend  themselves  from  these  troublesome 
insects.  The  traveling  was  tedious  from  the  heavy  rains, 
which  made  ugly  and  laborious  walking  for  our  horses. 
The  soil  is  a  stiff  black  mold,  through  which  the  rain  does 
not  soon  penetrate ;  but  when  it  is  once  thoroughly  soaked, 
the  water  cannot  drain  off  as  it  does  in  more  elevated  plains. 
In  many  places  we  found  several  feet  of  water ;  every  little 
hollow  formed  a  pond,  and  every  rivulet  appeared  like  a 
river.  Our  horses  often  sunk  up  to  their  knees  in  mud, 
and  at  times  had  water  up  to  their  bellies.  The  rivulets 
we  swam  over  on  horseback,  carrying  on  our  heads  such 
articles  as  we  wished  to  keep  dry.  At  two  o'clock  we  came 
to  Plumb  river,  and  were  obliged  to  make  a  long  circuit  in 
the  plains,  before  we  could  find  a  convenient  olace  to  swim 

'  The  American  woodland  reindeer,  Rangiftr  caribou  or  R.  tarandut. 

••s 


286 


OJIBWAY   CAMP  ON  SCRATCHING  RIVER. 


it.  Soon  after  three  o'clock  we  came  to  Riviere  aux  Gra. 
tias,  up  which  we  went  to  the  forks,  where  we  sighted  the 
Saulteur  camp,  consisting  of  nine  large  cabins,  on  the  N. 
side  of  the  river,  in  the  plains.  The  water  was  very  high, 
but  the  Indians  had  canoes,  in  which  we  got  over.  They 
were  in  great  expectation  that  I  had  brought  them  some 
liquor ;  but  they  were  disappointed,  as  I  had  nothing  but 
tobacco  to  offer  them.  They  have  been  tented  here  since 
June  the  i  ith,  living  on  buffalo.  Cows  there  are  none,  and 
even  bulls  are  scarce.  The  last  time  I  saw  these  people 
they  promised  me  to  summer  on  the  E.  side  of  Red  river, 
where  the  moose  and  red  deer  are  numerous,  and  some 
beaver  also.  They  attempted  to  go  there,  but  found  the 
country  almost  entirely  overflowed,  which  obliged  them  to 
return  to  the  plains  in  search  of  buffalo.  They  had 
planned  to  go  to  the  Missouri,  to  purchase  horses.  I 
endeavored  to  persuade  them  to  the  contrary,  and  advised 
them  to  make  as  much  provisions  as  possible,  for  which 
they  would  receive  liquor,  ammunition,  and  tobacco,  at 
my  fort.  This  advice  they  did  not  much  relish,  but  wished 
me  to  alter  my  course,  and  go  with  them.  They  proposed 
to  go  by  way  of  Lac  du  Diable  [Devil's  lake,  N.  Dak.], 
across  the  Hair  hills,  having  got  some  Assiniboines  to 
guide  them.  They  would  start  in  five  days,  if  I  would 
remain  and  go  with  them.  Their  party  consisted  of  over  40 
men.  They  did  all  in  their  power  to  discourage  me  from 
going  by  way  of  Portage  la  Prairie  and  Riviere  1  >  Souris, 
saying  the  route  to  the  Assiniboine  was  impracttcaule,  as 
some  of  them  had  lately  been  hunting  in  that  direction, 
and  found  it  impossible  to  get  through  with  their  horses. 
However,  when  ^  persisted  in  my  plan,  several  expressed  a 
wish  to  accompary  me,  even  by  that  route ;  and  I  had 
much  trouble  to  dissuade  them. 

Our  course  from  P&nbian  river  to  this  place  was  about 
N.;  the  distance  about  10  leagues.  We  passed  a  very 
uncomfortable  night ;  the  weather  was  sultry,  with  thun- 
der, lightning,  and  rain,  and  .he  mosquitoes  were  intoler- 


UKAND   PASSAGE  OP  THE  ASSINIBOINE. 


387 


able.  The  women  closed  the  openings  of  the  cabins,  and 
made  a  smudge  inside,  but  to  no  purpose ;  it  only  made 
matters  worse  by  choking  us  with  the  bitter  smoke.  If  we 
covered  our  heads,  we  were  suffocated  with  heat ;  if  we 
remained  uncovered,  we  were  choked  with  smoke  and 
mosquitoes.  I,  therefore,  thought  best  to  get  out  of  doors, 
but  was  then  in  danger  of  being  trampled  to  death  by  the 
horses,  which  surrounded  the  cabins  to  enjoy  the  smudge. 
When,  to  our  great  joy,  daylight  appeared,  we  instantly 
collected  our  horses,  and  proceeded  on  our  journey. 

July  8th.  I  believe  some  of  the  Indians  would  have  fol- 
lowed us,  had  it  not  rained.  I  was  not  desirous  of  their 
company.  They  would  have  been  more  plague  than  service 
to  me,  and  had  any  accident  happened  to  them,  the  blame 
would  have  fallen  on  me.  The  mosquitoes  continued  so 
troublesome  that  it  was  only  with  difficulty  that  we  could 
keep  our  horses  from  throwing  themselves  down  and  rolling 
in  the  water,  to  get  rid  of  those  cursed  insects.  Soon  after 
leaving  camp  we  came  to  the  traverse,  an  open  level 
meadow,  about  six  leagues  across  to  Riviere  Sale.  On  this 
plain  the  traveling  was  very  bad ;  our  horses  always  had 
mud  over  their  hoofs,  and  often  water  up  to  their  bellies. 
At  nine  o'clock  the  weather  cleared  up,  and  a  strong  breeze 
gave  us  relief  from  the  mosquitoes. 

At  eleven  o'clock  we  came  to  the  Sale,  where  we  were 
obliged  to  swim  our  horses.  We  allowed  them  two  hours 
to  eat  and  rest,  when  we  saddled  and  proceeded  through  a 
country  overgrown  with  small  poplars  and  willows,  with 
small  meadows  at  int'.frvals ;  we  passed  through  three 
abominably  ugly  mashquegies,*  in  which  our  horses  were 
nearly  knocked  up.  The  heat  was  intolerable — I  sincerely 
believe  it  was  the  hottest  day  I  ever  experienced  in  the 
North  West. 

At  four  o'clock  we  happily  reached  the  Assiniboine,  at  the 
Grand  Passage  [in  present  St.  Charles  parish],  three  leagues 

*  Spelled  in  uncounted  waxs,  but  now  uiuallx  musktg.  It  means  a  bog  or 
morau. 


t 


288 


WHITE  HORSE  PLAINS. 


or  more  above  the  Forks  [Winnipeg].  The  uncommonly 
high  water  obliged  us  to  make  a  raft  to  transport  our  baggage 
and  equipments  to  the  N.  side.  One  of  our  party,  who 
could  not  swim,  we  placed  upon  the  raft,  and  set  adrift. 
William  Henry  and  I,  and  the  other  man,  took  to  the  water 
upon  our  horses.  William,  supposing  himself  an  expert 
swimmer,  let  go  his  horse,  and  nearly  paid  dear  for  his 
imprudence ;  a  severe  cramp  took  him  in  the  feet,  and  it 
was  with  much  difficulty  he  reached  the  shore.  Having  all 
three  got  over,  we  left  our  horses  to  feed,  whilst  we  went 
down  river  in  search  of  the  raft,  which  the  strong  current 
had  carried  much  further  than  we  supposed  it  would  have 
done,  and  it  was  some  time  before  we  could  reach  it.  This 
was  very  disagreeable.  We  were  entirely  naked,  so  that  the 
mosquitoes  had  their  pleasure  with  us,  and  having  no 
shoes,  it  was  only  with  great  pain  that  we  could  walk  in  the 
sharp-pointed  grass.  We  found  the  man  on  the  raft  wait- 
ing for  us,  and  lost  no  time  in  dressing. 

Having  saddled,  we  proceeded  up  the  Assiniboine,  our 
course  being  about  W.  until  eight  o'clock,  when  we  camped 
at  White  Horse  plains.'  Our  horses  were  much  fatigued  by 
the  heat  and  bad  roads.  We  passed  a  very  uncomfortable 
night,  hot  and  sultry,  with  clouds  of  mosquitoes  which  so  an- 
noyed us  that  we  took  no  supper.     It  was  impossible  to  sit 


]%}. 


^  "  There  is  a  tradition  amongst  the  French  half-breeds  that  the  White  Horse 
Plain,  about  15  miles  up  the  Assiniboine  frpm  Winnipeg,  receives  its  name  from 
a  white  horse  which  roamed  around  in  that  district  many  years  ago,  and  which 
could  not  be  apprehended,  though  many  persons  had  endeavored  to  capture 
him.  I  received  this  tradition  from  a  French  trader  some  years  ago  when  travel- 
ing in  the  Saskatchewan  country,  but  cannot  vouch  for  its  authenticity,"  Bell, 
/.  e,  No  doubt  n  white  horse  could  run  wild  on  these  plains  as  well  as  any 
others ;  but  one  who  could  vouch  for  the  tradition  might  do  the  same  for  Death 
on  the  pale  horse,  the  headless  horseman,  the  enchanted  white  fawn  that  could 
only  be  killed  with  the  magic  bullet,  and  similar  myths.  The  story  probably 
started  in  some  aboriginal  superstition  or  "medicine."  The  place  is  in  the 
vicinity  of  Headingly,  a  town  on  the  N.  bank  of  the  Assiniboine,  near  wher« 
iht  S.  W.  branch  of  the  C.  P.  Ry.  now  crosses.  The  name  is  perpetuated  in 
^t!iite  Plains,  a  station  on  the  N.  P.  and  Manitoba  R.  R.  next  above  Head- 
ingly sta.,  S.  of  the  river. 


FOURNIER  PRAIRIE— ROAD  TO  SHOAL  LAKE. 


289 


Horse 
ne  from 
which 
capture 
travel- 
Bell. 
as  any 
Death 
at  could 
>robably 
in  the 
whert 
uated  in 
Head- 


anjrwhere  out  of  the  smudge,  although  nearly  suffocated  by 
it,  and  while  lying  down  we  were  in  continual  danger  of  our 
horses  treading  on  us,  as  the  night  was  dark,  the  poor  beasts 
could  not  eat,  and  were  continually  crowding  in  the  smoke. 

July  gth.  Fine  weather,  but  excessively  warm.  We 
mounted  and  left,  directing  our  course  N.  W.,  to  avoid 
some  large  marais  and  low  meadows  which  lie  along  the 
river  near  Prairie  k  Faurneer,*  and  which  we  supposed  were 
overflowed — the  mosquitoes  tormenting  us  as  usual.  Our 
horses,  which  had  little  rest  last  night,  were  almost  ungov- 
ernable, tearing  up  the  grass,  throwing  their  fore  feet  over 
their  heads'to  drive  away  the  insects,  and  biting  their  sides 
till  our  legs  were  in  danger  of  their  teeth.  In  a  word  the 
poor  tortured  and  enraged  beasts  often  attempted  to  throw 
themselves  down  and  roll  in  the  water.  We  also  suffered 
intolerably,  being  almost  prevented  from  taking  breath. 

At  ten  o'clock  we  fell  upon  the  great  cart  road  which 
goes  to  Lac  Plat,*  about  two  leagues  N.  of  us,  where  a  num- 

*  So  copy,  but  read  Foumier  (baker),  in  this  instance  a  personal  name.  Thus 
McDonnell,  May  19th,  1794,  in  Masson,  I.  p.  390,  has :  "  Met  two  canotees 
of  South-Men,  ascending,  headed  by  a  Mons.  Foumier.  Took  Morelle,  a 
deserter  of  ours  from  Pembina  River,  from  him.  The  first  prairie  below  Fort 
de  la  Reine  has  been  called  Prairie  k  Foumier  after  this  South  Trader."  There 
were  several  persons  in  the  N.  W.  Co.  of  this  name. — One  Foumier  brought  an 
express  from  Slave  1.  to  Fort  Chipewyan,  Apr.  17th,  1800. — Ignace  Foumier  is 
listed  asvoyageur.  Fort  des  Prairies,  1804. — ^Joseph  Foumier  is  listed  as  voy- 
ageur  contre-maitre.  Upper  Red  r.,  1804  ;  perhaps  this  is  the  one  McDonnell 
speaks  of. — ^Jacques  Foumier,  a  Canadian  voyageur,  date  and  place  of  birth 
unknown,  died  in  Kansas  in  July,  1871,  at  an  alleged  age  of  134  or  135  years, 
probably  about  100 ;  he  claimed  to  remember  the  battle  of  Abraham  Plains, 
1759,  perhaps  meaning  siege  of  Quebec  in  1775  ;  was  traced  through  Pittsburg, 
Pa.,  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  in  the  war  of  1813,  and  is  said  to  have  been 
with  Lewis  and  Clark.  There  is  no  mention  of  such  a  person,  but  he  might 
have  been  one  of  the  unnamed  boatmen,  who  went  as  far  as  the  Mandans  and 
returned. — Louis  Fournitr  was  on  the  Willamette  r.  in  Oregon  in  1835. — Henry 
is  traveling  in  St.  Frangois  Xavier  parish,  past  the  town  of  that  name  on  the  N. 
bank  of  the  river,  toward  Baie  St.  Paul.  A  town  on  the  same  bank,  between 
the  two  said,  is  now  known  as  Pigeon  Lake. 

*  Now  Shoal  1.,  a  considerable  body  of  water  lying  between  Lake  Manitoba 
and  Lake  Winnipeg.  The  cart  road  to  this  lake  went  north  of  the  river  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  present  town  of  Marquette,  on  the  main  C.  P.  Ry. 


290 


LONG  LAKE— PORTAGE  LA  PRAIRIE. 


ber  of  freemen  are  passing  the  summer.  Two  of  our  horses 
were  knocked  up,  and  could  not  move  even  upon  a  slow 
trot ;  I  therefore  left  them  to  come  on  slowly,  and  pursued 
the  cart  road.  Soon  afterward  I  overtook  a  cart  which 
proved  to  be  Mr.  Dorion's,  with  a  load  of  buffalo  meat  from 
Lac  Plat,  where  he  has  a  hunter  employed.  We  proceeded 
on  to  Raft  lake,*  where  we  unsaddled  and  allowed  the 
horses  two  hours  to  rest.  Here  we  found  Madame  Dorion, 
who  had  made  a  good  fire  to  drive  away  the  mosquitoes. 
She  was  sent  on  ahead  for  that  purpose,  and  had  also  pre- 
pared some  excellent  appalats  of  buffalo  meat,  and  gathered 
some  nearly  ripe  pears.  Having  refreshed  ourselves,  and 
our  fatigued  party  joining  us,  we  saddled  and  mounted,  but 
their  pace  was  so  slow  that  I  left  them  to  come  on  with  the 
cart,  and  went  ahead  with  Ducharme,  directing  our  course 
S.  S.  W.  until  five  o'clock,  when  we  arrived  at  Portage  la 
Prairie.' 


i'\ 


*  Present  Long  1.,  of  narrow  curved  form,  lying  partly  in  the  parish  of  Bale 
St.  Paul,  but  mostly  in  the  adjoining  township  on  the  N.  (Tp.  13,  R.  iv,  W. 
princ.  merid).  Henry  is  at  or  near  Redbum  sta.  of  the  main  C.  P.  Ry.,  be- 
tween  Marquette  and  Poplar  Point  sta. ,  a  little  below  a  place  on  the  N.  bank 
of  the  river  called  Belcourt. 

"*  Observe  the  change  in  Henry's  course  from  N.  W.  to  S.  S.  W.  since  leaving 
Long  or  Raft  1.,  opp.  which  the  Assiniboine  is  at  its  northernmost  bend.  Soon 
after  passing  Poplar  Point  sta.  he  crossed  the  boundary  between  Selkirk  and 
Macdonald  districts  of  Manitoba,  entering  the  latter ;  he  then  passed  Assini- 
boine, a  place  on  the  N.  bank  of  the  river,  and  next  High  Bluff  sta.  on  the 
main  C.  P.  Ry.  In  High  Bluff  parish,  at  or  near  the  place  on  the  river  where 
the  N.  P.  and  Manitoba  R.  R.  now  crosses,  named  Bridge  SpVir,  was  Adh^mar't 
fort,  said  by  McDonnell,  /.  c,  p.  370,  to  be  6  m.  by  land,  and  a  day  by  water 
(going  up  stream)  below  Portage  la  Prairie  ;  he  camped  there  May  17th,  1794. 
He  gives  Blondishe's  fort  as  below  Adhemar's — the  lowest  on  the  river  at  the 
time  of  which  he  writes.  Jacques  Adhemar  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  was  in  the  Nepi- 
gon  district  in  1799.  Portage  la  Prairie,  as  a  locality,  as  a  carrying-place  from 
the  Assiniboine  over  to  Lake  Manitoba,  and  as  a  station  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  in 
Henry's  time,  has  been  repeatedly  mentioned  in  this  work  already,  and  refer- 
ence has  been  made  to  Verendrye's  Fort  la  Reine,  on  the  S.  or  right  bank  of 
the  river,  founded  Oct.  3d,  1738,  when  Verendrye  was  on  his  way  to  the  Man- 
dans,  as  Henry  is  now.  This  fort  was  burned  by  the  Crees  about  1752.  The 
place  was  also  called  Prairie  portage,  Meadow  portage  (as  Thompson,  1798)  and 
Plain  portage  (Harmon,  1805);  but  the  full  form  of  the  F.  phrase  persists,  for 


PORTAGE  LA   PRAIRIE  POST. 


291 


Here  I  found  an  Indian,  sent  by  Mr.  Chaboillez  from 
Riviere  la  Souris  to  inform  me  of  his  arrival  at  that  place 
from  Fort  Dauphin.  I  hear  of  nothing  but  famine  through- 
out the  country.  The  Indians  of  this  establishment  have 
been  away  since  June  ist,  and  have  made  no  dried  pro- 
visions whatever.  They  can  scarcely  find  food  sufficient 
for  their  families.  Their  principal  resource  has  been  along 
the  shores  of  Lake  Maninthonobanc  [sic — Manitoba],  where 
wild  fowl  breed  in  prodigious  numbers.  Round  the  S.  end  of 
this  lake,  and  as  far  N.  as  the  Straits,  j  low,  broken,  marshy 
country  extends  from  one  to  three  miles  before  we  come  to 
terra  firma — these  extensive  morasses  being  the  great  re- 
sort for  wild  foul  of  all  kinds.  At  the  season  when 
swans  and  other  birds  shed  their  feathers,  the  Indians 
destroy  great  numbers  by  pursuing  them  in  canoes  and  kill- 
ing them  with  sticks.  Eggs  of  all  sorts  they  also  collect  in 
abundance — even  canoe-loads  [canot^es].  Muskrats  are 
likewise  very  plentiful  in  these  marais. 

At  Portage  la  Prairie  we  have  an  excellent  garden^  well 
stocked  with  potatoes,  carrots,  corn,  onions,  parsnips,  beets, 
turnips,  etc.,  all  in  forwardness  and  good  order.  Cabbages 
and  melons  do  not  turn  out  so  well  as  at  Panbian  river — the 
soil   hefe  is  too  dry  and  sandy.    It  was  late  before  our 


the  present  parish,  and  for  the  town,  somewhat  ofl  the  river,  where  the 
N.  P.  and  Manitoba  R.  R.  crosses  the  main  C.  P.  Ry.  Portage  cr.  runs  from 
this  vicinity  towanl  Lake  Manitoba.  McDonnell  says,  /.  r.,  that  Wm.  McKay 
of  the  N.  W.  Co.  wintered  here,  1794-95,  'ith  Mr.  Reaume,  in  opposition  to 
Mr.  Linkwater  of  the  H.  B.  Co.,  and  one  Dejadon,  acting  for  one  Laviolette. 
Thompson,  who  passed  down  Mar.  3d,  1798,  notes  "  several  old  houses  "  in  the 
vicinity.  Harmon,  who  was  here  June  13th,  1805,  says:  "Here  the  North 
West  Company  have  a  miserable  fort,  the  local  situation  of  which  is  beautiful, 
beyond  anything  that  I  have  see:,  in  this  part  of  the  world.  Opposite  the  fort 
there  is  a  plain,  which  is  about  60  miles  long,  and  from  one  to  ten  broad,  in  the 
whole  extent  of  which  not  the  least  rise  of  ground  is  visible,"  Journal,  1820, 
p.  140. 

A  place  on  the  river,  which  may  be  worth  noting  here,  for  future  identifica- 
tion, is  indicated  as  follows  :  "  In  the  Assinneboin  river,  at  one  or  two  days 
above  the  Prairie  Portage,  is  a  place  called  Kenewkauneshewayboant,  (where 
they  throw  down  the  gray  eagle,)"  James'  Tanner's  Narr.  1830,  p.  60. 


393 


OLD   POPLAR  FORT. 


I't:, 


i!  1 


iu 


n 


knocked-up  party  arrived ;  they  came  on  foot,  leading  their 
horses,  that  could  scarcely  walk. 

/ufy  loth.  We  have  not  so  many  mosquitoes  here  as  at 
Panbian  river.  The  country  is  more  elevated,  and  the  soil, 
being  dry  and  sandy,  may  account  for  the  difference.  I 
found  myself  unwell  all  day  with  a  fever ;  however,  I  made 
preparations  for  our  journey,  but  had  some  difficulty  in  pro- 
curing a  good  horse.  My  own,  which  I  had  sent  here  last 
spring  for  that  purpose,  was  sick,  and  another  one  that  I 
depended  upon  was  lame ;  but  as  I  was  determined  to  pro- 
ceed, even  should  it  be  on  foot,  I  was  offered  one.  I  knew 
him  to  be  a  cruel  beast  for  carrying  rough,  and  no  runner  at 
all ;  but  hid  to  take  him  or  -^one. 

July  nth.  I  sent  off  ^  Wiiiiam  Henry  and  Forcier* 
for  Panbian  river,  and  soc  set  out  for  Riviere  la  Souris, 
accompanied  by  Toussaint  v'"eandrie  [Vaudry],  interpreter, 
and  Joseph  Ducharme.  I  was  still  weak  and  scarcely  able 
to  sit  upon  my  horse.  Our  road  led  through  patches  of 
meadows  and  low  poplars ;  the  latter  generally  in  low,  boggy 
spots,  where  our  horses  had  mud  and  water  up  to  their 
knees ;  but  we  had  a  beautiful  road  for  a  few  miles  before 
we  came  to  these  bad  places. 

At  nine  o'clock  we  passed  old  Fort  de  Tremble,*  where 

'  The  Forciers  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  were  several,  appearing  also  as  Forcin. 
Fercier,  and  Frecier.  Henry's  was  very  likely  Pierre  Forcier,  listed  as  voy- 
ageur,  Fort  Dauphin,  1804. — Another  was  Michel  Forcier,  of  equal  date. — A 
third  was  Jean  Luc.  Forcier,  on  the  Chippewa  r.  about  the  same  time. — £tienne 
Forcier,  listed  as  of  Fort  des  Prairies,  1804,  was  at  the  Rocky  Mt.  house,  Oct. 
26th,  1806,  and  with  Thompson  in  the  Rocky  mts..  1809-11;  he  came  out  of 
the  mts.  with  Thompson  down  the  Saskatchewan  in  June,  18 10,  and  went  with 
him  from  Boggy  Hall  into  the  mts.;  at  the  sources  of  the  Athabasca,  Oct., 
1810  ;  at  Thompson's  historical  camp  at  the  mouth  of  Canoe  r.  in  Jan.,  1811. 

*  Otherwise  Poplar  fort,  also  called  Fort  du  Tremble,  Fort  des  Trembles, 
Fort  aux  Trembles,  with  variants  to  Tremblier,  Trembliers,  and  Tremblaie. 
As  elsewhere  stated,  the  word  refers  to  the  aspen  or  quaking-ash,  Populus 
tremuloides,  whose  leaves  tremble  or  shiver  in  the  breeze.  This  fort  f^tood  on 
the  right  or  S.  bank  of  the  Assiniboine,  about  5  m.  above  Portage  la  Prairie, 
in  the  middle  of  a  3-mile  reach  of  the  river  ;  above  it  was  a  wood  known  as 
la  Grande  Trembliire  or  Tremblaie.     Accounts  of  the  affair  which  Henry  nar- 


THE  ATTACK  ON  THIS  POST  IN    1 78 1. 


293 


formerly  there  was  an  establishment  which  was  attacked  by 
the  Crees  in  1781.  This  unfortunate  affair  appeared  to  be 
the  opening  of  a  plan  for  the  destruction  of  the  whites 
throughout  the  North  West.  Mr.  Bruce  was  master  of  this 
place.  The  Indians  concerned  were  Crees,  Assiniboines, 
and  Bas  de  la  Riviere  Indians  ;  90  tents  were  at  the  house. 
The  affair  took  place  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  canoes  in 
the  fall  of  1 78 1,  while  the  people  were  still  building.  Out 
of  21  men  present,  11  hid  themselves;  the  remaining  10 
defended  themselves  bravely,  drove  the  Indians  out  of  the 
houses  and  fort,  and  shut  the  gates.  They  lost  three  men — 
Belleau,  Fecteau,  and  La  France.  They  killed  15  Indians 
on  the  spot,  and  15  more  died  of  their  wounds.  The  place 
was  instantly  abandoned,  canoes  were  loaded,  and  all  hands 
embarked  and  drifted  down  to  the  Forks.  At  the  moment 
of    their  departure  two  Indian  lads  arrived  from  toward 


Forcin, 
as  voy- 
atc— A 
^tienne 
ise,  Oct. 
out  of 
int  with 
I,  Oct., 
1811. 
rembles, 
emblaie. 
Populus 
tood  on 
Prairie, 
nown  as 
enry  nar- 


rates differ  irreconcilably.  McDonnell,  /.  <•.,  says  that  two  Frenchmen  and 
seven  Indians  were  killed  "in  the  scuffle." — Of  Mr.  Bruce  I  have  no  further 
information.  Associated  with  him  was  Mr.  Boyer,  first  name  unknown,  who 
was  a  few  years  later  sent  to  found  a  post  on  Peace  r.;  afterward,  in  1787,  he 
was  on  Peaver  r.,  and  he  went  with  Mr.  McLeod  and  13  men  to  Lake  Atha- 
basca, Nov.  9th,  1788. — One  Bruce  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  was  at  Grand  Portage  in 
1799,  wages  300  livres. — Pierre  Bruce  was  interpreter  N.  W.  Co.,  on  English 
r.  in  1804. — The  Belleau  who  is  said  to  have  been  killed  was  a  coureur  des  bois; 
no  more  known  of  him.  He  must  not  be  confounded  with  that  Mr.  Belleau 
who  had  two  different  houses  in  this  region,  and  was  alive  in  1800.  Belleau's 
house  between  Swan  r.  and  the  Assiniboine  was  "old  "  in  1797  ;  his  house  of 
1797  and  later  was  in  pines  on  a  brook  about  8  m.  N.  N.  E.  of  the  elbow  of 
the  Assiniboine  (on  the  point  of  which  was  Sutherland's  H.  B.  Co.  house  at 
that  time),  lat.  made  51^  51'  09"  N.  by  Thompson. — In  1789  Pierre  Belleau 
engaged  for  3  years  in  the  N.  W.  Co.,  with  Mr.  Bergeron,  and  he  was  on  the 
N.  Saskatchewan  in  1779-1800 ;  left  Fort  George  May  13th,  1800,  for  the  upper 
house. — Antoine  Belleau  and  Jean  Baptiste  Belleau  were  two  Astorians  on  the 
ship  Tciiquin  from  N.  Y.,  Sept.  6th,  1810,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia, 
Mar.  aad,  1811;  both  deserted  from  Astoria,  Nov.  loth,  retaken  Nov.  aad,  1811. 
— The  killed  man  whom  Henry  calls  F  -cteau  appears  elsewhere  as  Facteau  and 
Tecteau;  coureur  des  bois  ;  no  further  record. — For  persons  named  Lafrance, 
see  a  previous  note,  and  one  of  the  Mandan  tour,  beyond. — Regarding  the 
smallpox,  there  seems  to  be  a  lacuna  in  the  Henry  copy,  as  if  he  were  going  on 
to  tell  about  it,  but  nothing  appears.  We  know,  however,  that  an  epidemic 
raged  for  two  or  three  years  after  1781,  destroying  thousands  of  Indians. 


'i;       % 


2>|     GRANDE  TREMBLAIE— MIDDLE  RI^ER— HAIR  HILLS. 

Fort  D.iuphin ;  beinp  strangers,  they  requested  permis- 
sion to  embark,  whic)  was  granted.  At  this  time  there  was 
no  mention  of  the  sm.  IIpox,  but  the  first  day  they  embarked 
one  of  the  lads  com],  lained  of  being  unwell.  The  people 
gave  him  the  loan  of  a.  blanket  to  cover  himself  with.     .     . 

Having  passed  through  several  ugly  trembliers,  we 
came  to  what  is  called  the  drande  Trembli^re  [Tremblaie], 
supposed  to  be  about  three  leagues  in  length.  Through 
this  wood  the  road  was  horrid — mud  and  mire  up  to  our 
horses'  knees,  and  sometimes  to  their  bellies;  in  some 
places  they  stuck  fast,  and  obliged  us  to  dismount.  What 
added  to  our  misery  was  the  great  number  of  trees  which 
had  been  blown  down,  and  lay  across  the  traCk  in  every 
direction.  We  found  ourselves  clear  when  we  came  to  a 
dry,  sandy  soil,  where  we  unsaddled  and  allowed  our  horses 
two  hours  to  rest. 

At  four  o'clock  we  crossed  Riviere  du  Milieu."  Two 
very  steep  hills  confine  this  small  river,  which  comes  in 
from  the  N.  In  going  down  the  first  hill,  our  horses  stuck 
fast  several  times,  and,  in  climbing  up  the  other,  they  could 
scarcely  support  themselves.  The  path  leads  up  a  narrow 
ridge,  which  is  continually  cruabling  into  the  valley  below 
on  both  sides  ;  one  false  step  would  dash  us  into  the  trees 
at  the  bottom.  From  the  top  we  had  a  delightful  view  of 
the  country  and  of  the  river  which  runs  near  the  foot  of 
those  hills,  and  whose  winding  course  is  seen  for  many  miles 
E.  and  W. 

The  Hair  hills  here  come  within  about  two*miles  of  the 
river  at  their  most  northern  extremity.  The  valley  between 
the  river  and  the  hills  is  delightfully  intercepted  by  patches 
of  meadow,  poplar,  and  stunted  oak ;  and  to  enliven  the 
prospect,  we  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  several  herds  of  red 
deer.  On  the  N.  the  view  is  confined  by  rising  ground, 
and  the  country  is  very  rough. 

'<*  Middle  r.  orcr.,  called  Middle  brook  by  Thompson,  who  remarks  upon 
the  difficulty  he  had  here  on  Thursday,  March  1st,  1798,  when  it  took  him  an 
hour  to  get  his  dog-train  up  the  steep  banks. 


s. 


WINTER  POST— INDIAN  TRAMP— HORSE  THIEVES.      295 


mis- 
was 
rked 
lople 

•         • 

,    we 

laie], 

ough 

5  our 

some 

What 

which 

every 

:  to  a 

horses 

Two 
tnes  in 
5  stuck 
r  could 
narrow 
below 
:  trees 
riew  of 
bot  of 
|y  miles 

of  the 
ktween 

)atches 
ren  the 
of  red 

[round, 


rk»  upon 
bk  him  »n 


At  this  place  we  have,  for  several  years  past,  kept  up  a 
winter  establishment ;  but  the  country  is  now  destitute  of 
beaver  and  other  good  furs,  and  the  returns  would  not  pay 
expenses. 

We  proceeded,  and  soon  overtook  the  Indian  who  had 
left  Portage  la  Prairie  this  morning.  He  pretended  he 
could  not  walk,  and  complained  of  having  hurt  his  legs, 
which,  however,  were  not  in  the  least  swelled.  We,  there- 
fore, were  passing  on  before  him,  when  he  began  such  a 
pitiful  lamentation,  that  I  prevailed  upon  V[audry]  to  give 
up  his  horse  for  the  rest  of  the  day,  for  I  could  not  leave 
the  poor  fellow  on  the  road,  as  he  said  he  would  certainly 
perish  were  we  to  leave  him  behind.  So  we  proceeded, 
our  old  Indian  on  horseback  and  V.  afoot,  till  we  came 
to  the  first  small  lakes,  nothing  more  than  ponds  of  stag- 
nated water,  where  we  stopped  for  the  night.  The  country 
from  the  Grande  Trembli^re  was  very  hilly,  and  the  road 
mostly  heavy,  over  barren  hills,  where,  in  some  places,  our 
horses  sank  up  to  the  fetlocks.  Our  course  was  very  ser- 
pentine, but  in  a  direct  line,  about  W.,  12  leagues.  We 
passed  through  several  places  so  overgrown  with  willows 
and  brushwood  as  to  render  traveling  tedious,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  dangerous  to  the  eyes,  as  we  could  scarcely 
defend  our  faces  from  the  twigs  and  branches  which  choked 
up  the  road  in  every  valley. 

This  evening  I  found  myself  very  weak  and  unwell.  We 
fettered  our  horses,  and  tied  them  near  the  fire  for  the 
night,  lest  any  straggling  horse-stealers,  who  might  have 
perceived  us,  should  wait  until  we  fell  asleep,  to  make  off 
with  every  horse  and  leave  us  to  shift  for  ourselves.  This 
is  a  very  great  inconvenience — you  are  sure  of  your  horse 
only  when  you  are  on  his  back,  so  many  Cree  and  Son- 
nant  thieves  are  there,  wandering  about  the  Assiniboine. 
The  Saulteurs  and  the  Red  River  Indians  are  not  so  thiev- 
ishly disposeci ;  we  may  pass  near  any  of  their  camps, 
and  put  up  for  the  night  with  them,  without  danger  of 
losing  horses,  or  any  other  property,  excepting  rum — that 


296 


PINE    RIVER— OLD    PINE    FORT. 


11  u 


I  ■ 


they  go  any  length  to  obtain,  either  by  theft,  pillage,  or 
murder. 

July  i2th.  At  da- break  we  saddled,  and  were  going  off, 
when  the  old  Indian  began  such  a  tale  of  woe  as  to  induce 
us  once  more  to  take  him  up  on  horseback.  My  two  men 
walked  by  turns  until  we  came  to  Riviere  aux  ^pinettes, 
when,  finding  the  day  far  advanced,  and  being  anxious  to 
reach  Rivi(:re  la  Souris  before  night,  we  determined  to 
leave  the  old  gentleman  behind,  notwithstanding  his  bitter 
complaints.  We  gave  him  provisions  and  tobacco  for  five 
days,  and  I  promised  to  send  somebody  to  meet  him  with 
a  horse  to-morrow.  He  pretended  to  be  so  ill  that  he 
could  only  move  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and  even  then 
not  without  much  grunting  and  moaning ;  he  wished  us  to 
make  him  a  pair  of  crutches  to  enable  him,  as  he  said,  to 
crawl  to  the  water  to  drink.  But  time  would  not  permit  us 
to  do  more  for  him  than  leave  him  some  water  in  a  bark 
dish,  and  the  brook  was  not  more  than  100  yards  off,  where 
he  could  get  plenty.  At  one  o'clock  we  crossed  Wattap  " 
river,  and  came  to  old  Fort  des  ^pinettes,  where  we 
stopped  to  refresh  ourselves  and  rest  our  horses.  Here  we 
had  an  establishment  for  several  years,  but  from  the 
scarcity  of  wood,  provisions,  and  other  circumstances,  it  was 
abandoned,  and  built  higher  up  river,  where  the  settlement 
is  now,  at  Riviere  la  Souris.  The  country  hereabouts  is 
very  hilly  and   rough,  with  deep  valleys,  in  which   grow 

"  Henry's  R.  aux  £pinettes  and  Wattap  r.  are  the  same  stream,  now  Pine  r. 
or  cr.;  in  Bell's  paper  printed  Wa-wap.  ipitutte  is  Canadian  French  for 
certain  coniferous  trees,  whose  sharp  leaves  we  call  "needles."  The  small 
stream  falls  into  the  Assiniboine  from  the  N.  or  right  hand  going  up,  15  m.  or 
more  by  the  road  below  the  mouth  of  Mouse  r.  The  Assiniboine  here  makes 
a  large  loop  S.,  and  the  road  leaves  it  for  a  more  direct  course.  The  mouth  of 
Pine  cr.  is  in  the  N.  W,  section  of  Tp.  8,  R.  xiii,  W.  of  the  princ.  merid.; 
there  is  no  name.',  place  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  but  it  is  nearly  on  a  direct 
line,  12  m.  S.  of  sta.  Melbourne  of  the  main  C.  P.  Ry.,  and  13  m.  N.  of  sta. 
Glenboro  of  the  S.  W.  branch  of  that  railway.  Here,  on  the  Assiniboine,  N. 
bank,  W.  of  Pine  cr.,  stood  Fort  des  £pinettes,  or  Fort  des  Pins,  oftener 
called  Pine  fort,  tuilt  1785,  abandoned  1794.  Harmon  viewed  the  remains 
Saturday,  June  \ii,  1805  :  Jounial,  p.  139. 


devil's  mountain— mouse  river. 


397 


some  dpinettes  and  stunted  birches  and  poplars.    The  soil 
is  poor,  dry,  and  sandy. 

At  two  o'clock  we  proceeded,  and  soon  came  to  Mon- 
tagne  du  Diable,'*  the  tops  of  which  we  had  seen  at  Wattap 
river.  This  mountain,  or  rather  ridge  of  barren,  sandy 
hills,  is  a  body  of  sand  several  miles  in  length ;  the  prin- 
cipal hill  is  on  the  E.,  several  miles  in  circumference,  and 
level  on  the  top,  where  no  kind  of  vegetation  grows.  Our 
path  led  along  the  foot  of  this  hill,  which  appears  to  be 
shifting  its  position  eastward.  Evidence  of  this  may  be 
seen  in  the  state  of  the  trees  on  the  E.  side,  where  they  are 
so  deeply  buried  in  the  sands  that  the  very  tops  of  some  tall 
pines  just  peep  through.  Westward  lies  a  sandy  waste  foir 
three  or  four  miles,  where  nothing  grows  but  a  few  stunted 
^pinettes,  that  tumble  down  when  the  sands  are  blown  from 
about  their  roots.  The  principal  reason  why  this  body  of 
sand  may  be  said  to  move  eastward  is  the  strong  westerly 
winds  which  prevail.  Many  extraordinary  stories  are 
related  of  this  mountain,  both  by  I  .dians  and  Canadians — 
of  the  strange  noises  heard  in  its  bowels,  and  the  nightly 
apparitions  seen  at  one  particular  place ;  but  as  I  cannot 
vouch  for  any  of  them,  I  shall  relate  none.  In  crossing 
those  hills  our  horses  sank  up  to  their  knees  in  many  places. 

Having  passed  them,  we  traversed  a  level  plain  for  about 
15  miles,  when  we  arrived  opposite  our  establishment  of 
Riviere  la  Souris,"  which  is  situated  on  the  S.  side  of  the 

''Devil's  mt.,  now  known  as  the  Sand  hills,  from  the  features  Henry 
describes  ;  the  name  originated  in  some  Indian  superstition  concerning  the 
shiftiness  of  the  sands  under  the  supervision  of  some  manitou,  who  was  god  or 
devil,  as  the  case  might  be — "  diabolus  deus  inversus."  Thompson  calls  them 
Manito  hills,  1798. 

**  Henry  has  come  up  the  N.  or  left  bank  of  fhe  Assiniboine,  which  he  has 
therefore  on  his  left,  and  must  be  ferried  over  to  the  S.  side  where  Mouse  r. 
falls  in  and  the  N.  W.  Co.  and  X.  Y.  Co.  houses  both  stood  in  i8o6^Brandon 
House  of  the  H.  B.  Co.  being  on  the  N.  side,  opp.  the  other  two.  Henry  is 
clear  and  precise  on  these  points,  concerning  which  there  has  been  much  misun- 
derstanding. Lewis'  map  of  1806  (first  pub.,  reduced,  in  Science  of  Nov.  4th, 
1887,  and  first  retraced  of  full  size  from  a  photograph  of  the  original,  for  L. 
and  C,  ed.  of  1893),  locates  all  three  correctly.     Clark's  map  of  1814,  in  the 


298      POSTS    ABOUT    THE    MOUTH    OF    MOUSE    RIVER. 


u 


t 


Assiniboine.  I  was  therefore  under  the  necessity  of  apply- 
'  ing  to  the  H.  B.  Co.  people  to  ferry  us  over,  which  they 
very  willingly  did.  Their  fort  stands  on  the  N.  side, 
where  also  ours  formerly  stood.  The  gentlemen  of  the  N. 
W.  Co.  are  so  fond  of  shifting  their  buildings  that  a  place 
is  scarcely  settled  before  it  is  thrown  up  and  planted  else- 

orig.  ed.  of  L.  and  C,  in  faciimile  in  mine  >r  1893,  doet  the  same.  And  Har' 
nion  says,  Juno  37th,  iSoj,  Journal,  p.  138  :  "  Kiviire  i  la  Souris,  or  Mouse 
River.  .  .  Here  are  three  establishments,  formed  severally  by  the  North  West, 
X.  v.,  and  Hudson's  Bnv  Companies."  H.  B.  Brandon  house  was  built  in 
1794,  nearly  or  about  o\\  .  the  mouth  of  Mouse  r. ;  X.  V.  Fort  Souris  was  opp. 
it,  next  to  Mouse  r.,  on  the  W.  of  the  latter ;  N.  W.  Assiniboine  house  was 
a  little  further  up  the  S.  side  of  the  main  river.  Observe  that  Henry  speaks  of 
the  II.  B.  house  as  being  "  on  the  N.  side,  where  also  ours  formerly  stood." 
This  former  N.  W.  Co.  Assiniboine  house  is  the  one  which  was  in  full  opera- 
tion in  1797-98,  when  Thompson  was  there,  leaving  it  for  his  Mandan  tour 
9.30  a.  m.  Tuesday,  Nov.  28th,  1797,  and  returning  10.30  a.  m.  Saturday,  Feb. 
3(1, 1798  ;  he  says  that,  on  starting,  he  crossed  the  Assiniboine, — conclusive  evi> 
dcncc  that  the  house  was  then  on  the  N.  side.  John  McDonnell  was  in  charge. 
Thompson  generally  calls  it  McDonnell's  house,  sometimes  Stone  Indian  River 
house  ;  states  that  it  was  1 1^  m.  above  Mouse  r. ;  and  gives  for  position  lat. 
49°  41'  06"  N.,  long.  99*  59'  is"  W.  In  McDonnell's  time  and  to  1805  or 
later,  the  N.  W.  Co.  had  an  important  post  higher  up  the  Assiniboine,  called 
Fort  Montagne  4  la  Bosse,  supposed  to  be  two  days  or  50  m.  by  land,  six  days 
by  water,  from  Mouse  r. ;  he  says  it  was  then  the  next  post  above  him,  and 
states  that  it  turned  out  for  the  N.  W.  f^o,  about  60  packs  a  year,  mostly  wolves 
and  buffalo.  C.  N.  Bell  misspells  Basse  as  the  name,  but  gives  Boss  hill  and 
Boss  cr.  correctly ;  the  F.  word  bosse  means  boss,  bust,  bump,  hump,  knob, 
stud,  and  the  like,  and  designated  the  hill.  This  fort  stood  on  a  high  bank,  com- 
manding an  extensive  prospect.  In  Oct.,  1804,  C.  J.  B.  Chaboillez  was  in 
charge,. with  Chas.  McKenzie  ;  Harmon  and  Franc.  Ant.  Larocque  were  there, 
Oct.  iith-i9th,  when  Harmon  left  "  that  enchanting  abode,"  as  he  calls  't,  p. 
131,  and  was  next  day  at  Qu'Appelle  r.  His  Journal  of  Nov.  34th,  1804,  has 
an  interesting  passage  corceming  Lewis  and  Clark,  who  were  then  at  the  Man- 
dans:  "  Some  people  have  just  arrived  from  Montagne  &  la  Basse,  with  a  letter 
from  Mr.  Chaboillez,  who  informs  me  that  two  Captains,  Clarke  and  Lewis, 
with  180  soldiers  [!]  have  arrived  at  the  Mandan  Village  on  the  Missouri  River, 
which  place  i'  situated  about  three  days'  march  distant  from  the  residence  of 
Mr.  Chaboillez.  They  have  invited  Mr.  Chaboillez  to  visit  them.  It  is  said, 
tliat  on  their  arrival  they  hoisted  the  American  flag,  and  informed  the  Natives 
tliat  their  object  was  not  to  trade,  but  merely  to  explore  the  country  ;  and  that 
as  soon  as  the  navigation  shall  open,  they  design  to  continue  their  route  across  the 
Rocky  Mountain,  and  thence  descend  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  They  made  the 
K.itives  a  few  small  presents,  and  repaired  their  guns,  axes,  &c.,  gratis.     Mr. 


FORT    ASSINIBOINE— SWAN   RIVER  NOTED. 


299 


and 

knob, 
com- 
wasin 

there, 
t,  p. 
.  has 
Man- 
letter 

Lewis. 

River. 

nee  of 
said. 

Matives 
id  that 

rossthe 
de  the 
.     Mr. 


where.  The  H.  B.  Co.  people  were  busily  employed  mak- 
ing hair  lines  with  which  they  fetter  their  horses  ;  they  per- 
form this  work  with  great  expedition,  and  very  neatly,  in 
the  same  way  that  rope  is  made.  The  hair  they  commonly 
use  is  that  which  buffaloes  have  between  the  horns,  and 
which  is  sometimes  upward  of  a  foot  long.  They  also  use 
horsehair,  which  's  much  stronger  than  buffalo's.  Indians 
are  also  expert  and  ingenious  in  making  these  hair  lines, 
but  their  work  is  slow  and  tedious  in  comparison  to  the 
English  make. 

Having  been  ferried  over  to  our  fort,  I  found  Mr.  Cha- 
boillez  [Charles,  junior]  and  Allan  McDonald,'*  from  Fort 
Dauphin,  on  their  way  to  Swan  river  '*  and  Rivifere  Qu'Ap- 

Chaboillez  writes,  that  they  behaved  honourably  toward  his  people,  who  are 
there  to  trade  with  the  Natives."  (For  the  Chaboillez  matter  see  L.  and  C, 
ed.  1893,  p.  187.)  Harmon  was  wintering  at  Fort  Alexandria  when  he  wrote 
this.  While  at  Montagne  i  la  Basse  in  Apr.,  1805,  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
go  to  the  Pacific  via  the  Missouri  river  at  the  Mandans ;  had  he  done  so,  he 
might  have  given  Lewis  and  Clark  a  close  race  for  their  laurels  !  But  ill 
health  caused  him  to  give  up  this  project.  He  adds,  p.  137,  "  A  Mr.  [F.  A.] 
La  Kocquc  attempted  to  make  this  tour  ;  but  went  no  further  than  the  Mandan 
Village."    His  appearance  on  that  scene  is  familiar  to  readers  of  L.  and  C. 

'*  Plainly  so  in  copy  :  elsewhere  in  Henry  MS.  Allen  McDonell :  see  L. 
and  C,  ed.  1893,  p.  1184.  Allen  McDonald  appears  as  clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  1804, 
Fort  Dauphin.     He  goes  with  Henry  to  the  Mandans. 

I*  Swan  r.  is  the  principal  feeder  of  that  Swan  1.  which  discharges  by  Swan 
or  Shoal  r.  into  Lake  Winnipegoosb.  It  is  a  considerable  stream,  which  arises 
in  the  S.  E.  comer  of  Saskatchewan,  enters  the  N.  E.  corner  of  Assiniboia,  and 
thence  flows  N.  E.  in  Manitoba  to  the  lake  said,  thus  curving  around  the 
elevated  country  known  as  Porcupine  mt.,  and  draining  between  Red  Deer  r. 
and  the  uppermost  Assiniboine  ;  some  of  its  tributaries  are  Swan  cr.,  Snake  cr., 
Bear's  Head  cr.,  Thunder  Hill  cr.,  Tamarac  cr..  Rolling  r.,  and  Sinclair  r.  It 
has  been  the  scene  of  various  important  posts,  and  for  some  years  gave  name  to 
a  department  or  district  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  It  was  easily  accessible  from  below 
through  the  chain  of  great  lakes ;  and  also  from  above,  by  land  N.  for  a  few 
miles  from  the  elbow  of  the  Assiniboine,  where  Fort  Pelly  now  stands,  to  the 
mouth  of  Snake  cr.  and  vicinity.  Thompson  came  to  the  N.  W.  Co.  house  on 
Swan  r.  at  9  a.  m.  Sept.  3ist,  1797,  about  I3  m.  by  water  up  river  from  Swan  1. 
He  found  in  charge  "  a  Mons.  Frankure,"  who,  I  suppose,  was  Gabriel  Fran- 
chire,  and  one  "  Perrinnu  "  (the  MS.  blind  at  the  name,  but  no  doubt  meant  for 
Perign^).  Thos.  Swain  and  four  men  were  at  the  H.  B.  Co.  house.  Sept.  33d, 
Thompson  set  off  with  Cuthbert  Grant  up  river,  en  route  to  the  Assiniboine — 


300 


CALLING    RIVER    NOTED. 


I  i 


pelle.'*    They  had  been  four  days  in  coming  here  on  horse* 


w 


I 


I. : 


'■I 


n 


ill 


■r 
I 


''(    ":} 


Porcupin*  hill  to  tha  right,  Dauphin  hill  to  th«  left.  Thunder  hill  bearing  S. 
W.;  34th,  he  notei  an  old  house  at  the  crowing  of  Swan  r.;  and  keeping  the 
river  to  hit  left  he  went  between  it  and  Thunder  hill,  recroeicd  the  river,  and 
went  up  with  the  river  on  hie  left  to  Belleau'i  house,  near  mouth  of  Snake  cr. , 
whence  it  was  only  about  8  m.  S.  to  the  Elbow,  present  Fort  Felly,  where  was 
the  H.  B.  Co.  house  in  charge  of  Mr.  Sutherland.  When  Harmon  came  to  the 
Swan  River  house  of  the  N,  W.  Co.,  Oct.  loth,  1800,  he  found  Perign^inchge. 
(This  was  Louis  Perign^  or  Perigny.  clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  who  left  the  place  two 
(lays  later  to  build  the  Bird  Mountain  house,  so  m.  higher  up.  In  1808  he  had 
left  the  N.  W.  Co.,  been  to  Canada,  and  turned  up  a  freeman  at  Grand  rapids 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Saskatchewan.)  Harmon  observes  that  the  H.  B.  Co,  house 
had  then  been  abandoned  "  •several  years," 

'*  "  In  olden  times,  the  shores  of  this  river  were  haunted  by  a  spirit,  whose 
voice,  resembling  that  of  a  human  being,  was  often  heard  wailing  during  the 
night.  So  said  the  Natives,  and  the  Voyageurs  called  it  Rivfire  qui  Appelle," 
Masson,  I,  p.  374,  "  Catabuytepu,  or  the  River  that  calls .  .  .  is  so  named  by  the 
superstitious  Native*,  who  imagine  that  a  spirit  is  constantly  going  up  or  down 
it ;  and  they  say  that  they  often  hear  its  voice  distinctly,  which  resembles  the  cry 
of  a  human  being,"  Harmon,  p.  117.  The  Cree  name  Harmon  uses,  other< 
wise  rendered  Katapawi-sipi,  and  translated  Who  Calls  r.,  has  been  generally 
Englished  as  Calling  r.  Corruptions  of  the  French  Qu'Appelle  yield  Capelle, 
Kapel,  and  other  forms.  This  queerly  called  river  is  the  main  fork  of  the 
Assiniboine,  if  not  actually  the  principal  stream  ;  it  traverses  a  great  part  of  As* 
siniboia,  about  E.,  draining  a  very  large  region  from  the  main  Saskatchewan, 
and  overruns  a  little  into  Manitoba,  where  it  joins  the  Assiniboine,  about  3  ni, 
above  present  Fort  Ellice,  in  Tp.  17,  R.  xxviii,  W.  of  the  princ.  merid.  In 
this  course  tbn  river  dilates  into  several  lakes,  is  fed  by  others,  and  receives 
many  ether  tributaries.  Its  origin  is  so  close  to  the  Elbow  of  the  Saskatchewan 
that  it  reminds  us  of  the  way  Lake  Traverse  of  Red  r.  is  related  to  Big  Stone  I. 
of  the  Minnesota,  or  the  Upper  Columbia  I.  to  the  Kootenay  ;  for  Calling  r. 
arises  in  that  feeder  of  Eyebrow  1.  which  almost  or  actually  connects  with  Aik- 
tow  cr.  or  coulee,  or  River  that  Turns,  which  latter  is  a  stream  about  13  m.  long, 
running  about  \V.  N.  W.  into  the  Elbow  of  the  Saskatchewan.  So  slight  is 
the  elevation  that  a  cut  of  40  feet  at  the  Aiktow  source  and  a  corresponding  dam 
in  the  Saskatchewan  would  turn  all  the  water  of  the  latter  into  Qu'Appelle  r. 
Fort  Esperance  was  founded  by  Robert  Grant,  some  years  before  1790,  prob- 
ably about  1785,  at  or  near  a  place  called  Prairie  la  Paille;  it  was  called  two 
short  days'  journey  up  river  by  boat  from  its  mouth ;  this  was  in  operation 
many  years.  Thompson  was  at  Wm.  Thobum's  house  on  the  Qu'Appelle, 
Nov.  i3th,  1797  ;  Ije  located  it  in  lat.  50®  38'  57"  N.,  long.  loi'  45'  45"  W. 
The  name  stands  variously  Thoburn,  Thorburn,  Thombum,  Thoboum,  Thor- 
bourne,  etc.  He  reached  Grand  Portage  in  1798  on  June  33d.  Higher  up  the 
Qu'Appelle,  at  the  Fishing  lakes,  an  adjoining  pair  in  the  course  of  the  river, 
where  there  is  now  a  notable  crossing  place,  etc. ,  both  the  N.  W.  Co.  and  the 


PREVIOUS    MANDAN    TOURS    NOTED. 


301 


back.     Mr.  F.  A.  La  Rocquc  '*  hais  this  post  in  charge  for 

X.  Y.  Co.  had  poati,  which  were  abandoned  in  1804.  In  that  year  they  both 
alto  had  poatt  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  ;  the  N.  W.  Co.  being  in  charge  of 
Andr^  Foitraa,  clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  winter  1804-05  ;  probably  the  ume  ai  one 
Poitra  or  Poitru  who  wintered  at  Fort  Eip^rance,  1793-94.  Present  Fort 
Ellice,  on  the  W.  tide  of  the  Auiniboine  near  the  confluence  of  the  Qu'Appelle, 
at  the  mouth  of  Beaver  cr.,  waa  once  called  Beaver  Creek  fort.  Bell  render*  the 
name  Ellis,  and  uyt  that  it  "likely  take*  its  name  from  the  Hon.  EHward 
Ellis,  who  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  bringing  the  II.  H.  Co.  and  the  N.  W. 
Co.  into  one  corporate  body."  (Alexander  Ellice  of  the  X.  Y.  Co.  signed  the 
Montreal  agreement  of  Nov.  5th,  1804.) 

"Franfois  Antoine  Larocque,  clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  who  led  the  Mandan  expedi- 
tion of  1804,  and  wintered  there  with  Lewis  and  Clark.  He  is  the  "  Mr.  Le 
Rock  "  and  "  Mr.  Laroche  "  of  L.  and  C,  ed.  1893,  pp.  203,  313,  336,  338, 
339,  340,  348,  and  has  left  uh  an  interesting  and  valuable  journal  of  1804-05, 
published  in  Masson,  I.  1889,  pp.  397-313.  He  had  been  with  Harmon 
at  Forts  Alexandria  and  Montagne  i  la  Bosse  in  Oct.,  1804,  and  left  Fort  As- 
Hiniboine  for  the  Mandans  3  p.  m.,  Nov.  nth,  1804,  with  Chas.  McKenzie, 
clerk N.  W.  Co.;  J.  Bte.  Lafrance,  clerk  ;  Wm.  Morrison,  Jos.  Azure,  J.  Ute. 
Turrenne,  Alexis  McKay,  voyageurs,  and  nine  horses  ;  arrived  at  the  Mandans 
3  p.  m.,  Nov.  3Sth.  Returning,  he  reached  Fort  Assiniboine  8  p.  m.,  Feb.  lath, 
1805.  Again  he  left  there,  June  3d,  1805,  with  Chas.  McKenzie,  J.  Bte.  La- 
france, and  two  voyageurs,  under  instructions  >  reach  the  Rocky  mts.,  if  possi- 
ble ;  but  did  not  succeed  in  this  attempt,  an<l  returned  to  his  post  Nov.  i8th, 
1805.  Mr.  Larocque  was  a  brother  of  Joseph  Larovque  ;  he  married  Miss 
Cdte,  dau.  of  an  independent  trader  and  sister  of  Jules  Maurice  ;  he  left  only 
a  son  Alfred  Larocque,  who  was  father  of  M.  le  Chevalier  Larocque,  a  papal 
zouave  ;  of  Armand  Larocque  ;  and  of  Mrs.  Ald^ric  Ouimet,  wife  of  a  Speaker 
of  the  House  of  Commons.  Mr.  F.  A.  larocque  left  the  N.  W.  Co.  early, 
entered  upon  business  in  Montreal,  was  unfortunate,  and  died  at  an  advanced 
age  in  the  Gray  Nunnery  of  St.  Hyacinthe. 

Ijirocque  was  preceded  in  going  to  the  Mandans  by  David  Thompson,  whose 
never  published  journal  is  before  me  :  see  L.  and  C,  ed.  1893,  p.  197,  and 
Pike,  ed.  1895,  p.  167 — upon  which  latter  notice  I  can  now  enlarge.  This  tour 
is  in  Book  No.  9  of  Vol.  V.  of  the  arrangement  of  his  MS.  in  the  Crown  Lands 
Dept.  of  Ontario,  at  Toronto.  A  list  of  his  men  on  inside  of  cover  ii^ :  Rene 
Jussomme ;  Joseph  Boisseau  ;  Hugh  McCracken  ;  Alexis  Vivier  ;  Pierre  Gilberl  ; 
Fran9ois  Perreault ;  Toussaint  Vaudril ;  Louis  Joseph  Hool  ;  Jean  Biptiste 
Minie.  D.  T.  left  McDonnell's  Assiniboine  house  9.30  a.  m.  Tuesday,  Nov. 
38th,  1797  ;  reached  Ash  house  on  Mouse  r.  Dec.  7th,  and  made  its  position 
49'  37'  33"N.;  crossed  R.  au  Saule  or  Willow  r.  Dec.  i6th  ;  notes  thermometer 
minus  41'  Dec.  3oth,  and  had  a  terrible  storm.  "  McCraghen  "  sick  Dec.  21st, 
and  could  not  go  on  ;  reached  usual  crossing  place  of  Mouse  r.  and  struck  across 
country  to  Dog  Tent  hill ;  froze  his  fingers  on  Christmas  ;  reached  Missisourie  r. 
Dec.   39th ;  one  Murray,  not  in  foregoing  list,  is  named  Dec.  30th.     At  the 


i.;         ! 


302 


PREVIOUS    MANDAN    TOURS    NOTED. 


the  summer.  There  are  here  three  laboring  men,  an  As- 
siniboine  interpreter,  and  40  women  and  children,  almost 
starving.    There  are  no  buffalo  in  these  parts  at  present, 

Mandans  he  was  as  usual  busier  with  geography  and  ethnography  than  with 
trade,  and  made  varioas  observations.  He  Axed  thr  principal  Mandan  village 
at  lat.  47*  17'  aa",  lor,;.  loi'  14'  34"  ;  and  tliere  he  estimated  the  source  of  the 
Missouri  to  be  lat.  45*  30'  37",  long,  no'  49'  08"  ;  of  Shell  (Musselshell)  r., 
lat.  440  41'  39",  long,  no'  18'  45"  ;  of  Large  Com  (Bighorn)  r.,  lat.  43*  44' 
19",  long.  109'  II'  55"  ;  and  of  the  Yellowstone,  lat.  43°  39'  45".  long.  109^ 
43*17".  He  notes  5  villages,  altogether  of  318  houses  and  7  tents,  viz.:  Upper 
Fall  Indians,  31  houses,  7  tents  ;  Lower  Fall  Indians,  8a  houses  ;  third  village, 
"  Mahnon  of  Mandens  and  a  few  Fall  Indians,"  53  houses,  37  Mandan,  and  1$ 
Fall ;  fourth  village,  M^mdan,  "  across  the  river,"  40  houses  ;  fifth  or  principal 
Mandan  village,  lowest,  113  houses.  He  made  a  Mandan  vocabulary,  which  is 
extant.  Left  at  8.30  a.  m.  Wednesday,  Jan.  loth,  1798;  trouble  with  refrac- 
tory men  and  bad  weather;  "  Minie"  becomes  Minier ;  notes  Dog  Tent  or 
Dog  hill.  Long  1.,  Elbow  of  Mouse  r..  Old  Ash  house.  Plumb  r.,  Boss  hill. 
Moose  Head  hill,  etc.,  and  arr.  McDonnell's  10.30  a.  m.  Saturday,  Feb.  3d, 
having  practically  retraced  his  steps.  He  took  a  more  direct  route  than  Henry 
is  about  to  follow,  but  nearly  the  same  for  the  most  part*,  and  his  itinerary  will 
help  us  much  in  trailing  our  author.  He  notes  that  McCraghen,  Minier;  and 
Murray  stalled  back  to  the  Mandans  next  day,  Feb.  4th. 

But  Thompson  had  been  anticipated  in  the  Missouri  trip  by  earlier  parties  of 
the  N.  W.  Co.,  of  which  little  is  known  accurately.  Thus  McDonnell's  Journal 
ui  May  21st,  1795,  Masson,  I.  1889,  p.  294,  has  :  "  Jussome  and  the  Mandan 
men  arrived  here  with  their  returns,  15  days  ago,  all  but  Jos.  Dube,  who  de- 
serted from  the  rest  and  staid  with  the  Indians  of  the  Missouri."  Again  Mc- 
Donnell's Journal  of  Dec.  loth,  1793,  ibid.  p.  286,  indicates  a  still  earlier  visit 
to  the  Mandans,  as  follows  :  "  The  nine  men  equipt  (on  their  own  account) 
for  the  Missouri,  started,  viz :  Raphael  Faignan,  Antoine  Bourier  dit  La- 
vigne,  Joseph  Dube,  J.  B.  Lafrance,  Joseph  Tranquille,  J.  B.  Bertrand,  Chrys- 
ostome  Joncquard,  Louis  Houle  et  Fran9ois  La  Grave." 

The  FI.  B.  Co.  also  sent  people  from  the  Assiniboine  to  the  Missouri  in  those 
years,  but  1  have  no  memoranda  of  names  and  exact  dates. 

Tlie  original  visit  of  the  whites  to  the  Mandans  was  made  in  1738  by  Pierre 
Gaultier  de  Verennes,  Le  Sieur  <Ie  Verendrye,  whose  own  account  of  it,  in 
quaint  French  and  in  English,  on  alternate  pages,  may  be  read  in  the  Report  on 
Canadian  Archives  by  Douglas  Brymner,  1889,  pp.  3-29 ;  in  default  of  which, 
see  Pike,  ed.  1895,  pp.  254-56,  or  Neill's  article  there  cited. 

Agreeably  with  my  desire  to  account  for  as  many  personal  names  as  I  can,  in 
the  order  in  which  they  come  up  in  the  present  work,  I  will  offer  the  following 
memoranda  of  individuals  here  in  mention  and  not  previously  noted  :  Ren^ 
Jussome  is  our  old  acquaintance  in  Lewis  and  Clark  :  ed.  1893,  pp.  l8c,  181, 
189,  232,  1 178,  1 184.     Besides  the  many  aliases  there,  Gissom  is  found  inChas. 


PREVIOUS    MANPAN    TOURS    NOTED. 


303 


As. 
nost 
sent, 

\  with 
village 
I  of  the 
ell)  r., 
ia«  44' 
g.  109" 

Upper 
Tillage* 

and  IS 
mncipal 
which  is 
li  refrac- 

Tent  or 
Joss  hill, 
Feb.  3d. 
in  Henry 
erary  will 
inier,  and 


partv 

V 


iCS 


of 
Journal 
Mandan 
who  de- 
\gain  Mc- 
arlier  visit 
account) 
dit  La 
nd.  Chrys 


in 


in  those 


by  Pierre 
it  of  it,  in 
:  Report  on 

of  which, 

I  can,  in 
following 
ed :     Ren^ 
,  180,  181, 
dinChas. 


and  they  have  finished  what  pemmican  was  left  here  last 
spring.  No  trade  of  any  kind  is  going  forward ;  the 
Indians  have  been  away  since  June  ist,  and  they  are  not 
expected  back  before  the  arrival  of  the  canoes.  This  even- 
ing their  hunter  came  in  from  the  Moose  Head  '*  hills ;  he 
brought  two  red  deer,  which  certainly  was  a  seasonable  sup- 
ply for  us.  Everything  here  bore  the  aspect  of  distress  and 
desolation. 

Sunday,  July  ijth.     I  found  myself  still  very   unwell ; 
however,  I  hired  a  guide  and  prepared  for  my  journey,  not- 

McKenzie's  Journal,  as  noted  beyond.  In  1806  Jussome  Is  said  to  have  been 
over  IS  years  an  independent  trader  on  the  Missouri.  Henry  has  much  to  say 
of  him  beyond,  and  nothing  in  his  favor. — Of  Joseph  Boisseau  nothing  further 
appears,  except  that  he  continued  with  Thompson  to  the  Red  r.,  etc.,  in  1798. — 
Hugh  McCracken,  McCrachen,  or  McCraghan,  is  found  with  Henry  beyond. — 
Of  Pierre  Gilbert  no  further  information  ;  Charles  Gilbert  was  avoyageur  N.  \V. 
Co.,  Fort  des  Prairies,  1804,  and  ^tienne  Gilbert  the  same,  Fort  Dauphin, 
1804. — Perreault  or  Perrault  is  an  old  name  in  the  fur-trade.  Jean  Bap> 
tiste  Perreault  left  Quebec  in  1783  to  engage  in  trade  on  the  Illinois 
in  service  under  Marchesseau,  and  reached  Cahokia  Aug.  nth,  1794;  was 
clerk  to  Alex.  Kay  ;  died  at  S.  S.  Marie,  Nov.  12th,  1844,  aged  84  or  85  years  : 
see  Tass4,  I.  pp.  337-340.  For  writings  of  his,  see  Schoolcraft's  Indian  Tribes, 
III.  pp.  353-359. — J.  B.  Perreault  (whether  the  same?)  is  listed  as  voyageur 
N.  W.  Co.,  Le  Pic,  1799;  wages  900  livres. — Another  J.  B.  Perreault  was  on 
the  Willamette  in  Oregon  in  1838. — Of  Fran9ois  Perreault,  nothing  further. — 
Gabriel  Perreault  of  the  N.  VV.  Co.  wintered  1804-05  on  or  near  Cranberry  1., 
under  Joseph  Cartier. — Guilleaume  Perreault  was  a  Canadian  boy  on  Astor's 
ship  Tonquin  from  New  York,  Sept.  6th,  1810. — Toussaint  Vaudril  is  the  Vaudry 
who  now  goes  with  Henry. — For  Louis  Joseph  Hool  or  Houle,  see  a  note  be- 
yond.— Jean  Baptiste  Mini,  Minie,  Menie,  or  Minier  of  Thompson  is  listed 
as  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.  Upper  Red  r.,  1804  ;  McDonnell's  Journal  mentions  a 
Minie.  There  is  a  question  if  the  full  name  be  not  Dumesnil. — ^Joseph  Dube 
was  of  the  N.  W.  Co. ;  nothing  further  appears  than  as  above. — One  Dubd 
was  with  Umfreville,  ca.  178a. — Joseph  Tranquille  and  Paul  Tranquille  were 
both  engages  of  the  N.  W.  Co. — Jean  Baptiste  Bertrand  reappears  as  voyageur 
N.  W.  Co..  Lower  Red  r.,  1804. — Of  Chrysostome  Joncquard,  nothing  further 
appears. — Louis  Houle  is  noted  beyond. — Francois  La  Grave  is  twice  listed 
as  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  1804,  English  r.  and  Rainy  1.;  one  La  Grave  as  the 
same,  same  date,  Rat  r. 

'*  The  marked  elevations  on  Henry's  route  and  northward,  in  the  bight  of 
land  between  Mouse  r.  and  the  Assiniboine,  were  known  as  Brandon  hills,  or 
the  Blue  hills  of  Brandon,  so  named  for  the  same  person  that  Brandon  house 
was  ;  and  the  Moose  Head  was  a  conspicuous  landmark  in  these  hills. 


304 


henry's    party    made    up — MOOSE    HEAD. 


I  * 


r;f  ;i! 


';•*    11 


IH' 


withstanding  many  obstacles  that  were  laid  in  my  way  to 
deter  me.  I  was  determined  to  push  on  ;  even  should  I  be 
obliged  to  go  with  only  my  two  men,  and  a  sketch  of  the 
route  I  had  with  me,  I  should  be  able  to  find  the  way.  I 
could  not  get  a  horse  to  carry  my  baggage  for  love  or 
money  ;  neither  had  my  guide  a  horse  for  himself  nor  could 
I  procure  him  one  for  a  long  time.  I  had  almost  given  up 
hope  of  his  accompanying  me,  and  was  preparing  to  set  off 
with  my  two  men  only,  when  suddenly  Mr.  Chaboillez 
agreed  to  go  with  me.  This  evening,  everything  being  in 
readiness,  my  mind  was  more  at  rest  than  it  had  been  since 
I  left  Panbian  river,  as  I  had  been  uncertain  of  procuring 
a  guide  and  a  person  to  introduce  us  to  the  Mandans. 

At  this  place  we  are  not  so  much  tormented  by  mosqui- 
toes as  to  the  eastward,  but  the  common  house  fly  supplies 
their  place.  The  buildings  are  full  of  them,  and  they  make 
as  much  buzzing  as  mosquitoes. 

/u/y  i^t/i.  Early  all  hands  were  alert,  preparing  for  our 
departure.  Our  party  consisted  of  seven  persons  and  eight 
horses :  Mr.  Chaboillez ;  Mr.  A.  McDonald  ;  T.  Viandrie ; 
Joseph  Ducharme ;  Hugh  MacEacan  [Thompson's  Mc- 
Cracken  or  McCraghenJ,  our  guide,  an  old  Irishman  for- 
merly belonging  to  the  artillery ;  a  Saulteur  lad,  Pautchau- 
conce  [Chaboillez*  brother-in-law] ;  and  myself.  We  had 
provided  ourselves  with  a  few  articles  for  the  Missourie 
Indians,  such  as  ammunition,  tobacco,  knives,  beads,  etc.; 
half  a  bag  of  pemmican  and  three  pieces  of  dried  meat 
formed  all  our  stock  of  provisions.  We  had  each  50  pounds' 
weight,  which,  with  ourselves,  our  arms,  blankets,  and  a 
little  ammunition  for  present  use,  formed  a  heavy  burden 
for  our  horses.  The  eighth  horse  carried  my  tent  and 
some  other  baggage,  including  a  compass  and  spyglass. 
At  eight  o'clock  we  mounted  and  kept  on  a  slow  trot.  Our 
course  was  W.  S.  W.  for  the  Moose  Head,  where  we  arrived 
at  eleven  o'^^lock,  and  stopped  at  a  small  lake  to  refresh  our 
horses.  K  -re  we  shot  a  few  ducks,  and  at  one  o'clock 
saddled  and  proceeded  in  the  same  direction  through  a 


ay  to 
I  be 
►f  the 
.y.    I 
ve  or 
could 
en  up 
set  off 
boillez 
:ing  in 
1  since 
jcuring 

Tiosqui- 
juppUes 
:y  make 

for  our 
nd  eight 
'iandrie ; 
n's    Mc- 
nan  for- 
autchau- 
We  had 
lissourie 
ads,  etc.; 
ed  meat 
)  pounds' 
s,  and  a 
y  burden 
tent  and 
spyglass, 
ot.    Our 
e  arrived 
fresh  our 
e  o'clock 
hrough  a 


RAPID  RIVER  SIGHTED — PLUM  RIVER — ASH  HOUSE.      305 

very  hilly  country  destitute  of  wood.  From  the  summits 
of  these  high,  barren  hills  we  had  delightful  views.  In 
some  low  spots  were  clusters  of  poplars ;  to  the  N.  we  could 
see  the  Assiniboine,  N.  of  which  we  could  trace  the  course 
of  Rapid  river,'*  which  comes  from  Fort  Dauphin  mountain. 
Herds  of  cabbrie  or  jumping  deer  [antelope,  Antilocapra 
americana]  were  always  in  sight.  At  four  o'clock  we  came 
to  Rivifere  la  Souris,  at  the  junction  of  Plumb"  river,  which 
conr^s  in  from  the  W.  N.  W.  We  crossed  it  and  kept 
along  the  N.  side  of  Riviere  la  Souris  until  sunset,  when  we 
put  up  for  the  night  near  Fort  de  la  Frenier."  Here  we 
found  many  vestiges  and  encampments  in  concealed  spots, 
where  horse  thieves  had  remained  for  some  time,  and,  on 
looking  about  the  sandy  hills  in  search  of  fruit,  we  saw 
several  fresh  tracks.  This  put  us  upon  our  guard,  and  we 
fettered  our  horses  around  our  fire — or  rather  smoke,  for  we 
could  get  no  wood.  We  therefore  gathered  a  quantity  of 
dry  buffalo  dung  [bois  de  vache  or  "bodewash"]   with 

'*  Rapid  r.  is  that  tributary  of  the  Assiniboine  which  is  now  known  as  Little 
Saskatchewan  r. — an  ineligible  name,  as  this  stream  has  nothing  to  do  with  the 
Saskatchewan  watershed.  It  heads  in  the  Riding  (or  Dauphin)  mts.,  runs 
about  S.  past  Elphinstone,  S.  E.  to  Minnedosa,  S.  W.  past  Rapid  City  and 
Pendennis,  and  finally  S.  E.  into  the  Assiniboine,  a  few  miles  above  Brandon. 
The  entrance  is  in  the  N.  part  of  Tp.  10,  R.  xx,  W.  of  the  princ.  merid.,  oppo- 
site that  station  of  the  C.  P.  Ry.  whence  a  branch  runs  to  Souris.  This  stream 
was  originally  R.  St.  Peter  of  Verendrye,  1739,  l<^tcr  R.  aux  Rapides ;  and 
Tanner  calls  it  Saskawjewun  r.,  as  in  the  following  passage,  which  may  possibly 
also  indicate  the  origin  of  the  name  of  the  Riding  mts.:  "  Naowawgunwudju, 
the  hill  of  the  buff  aloe  chase,  near  the  Saskawjewun,"  p.  109. 

**>  Plum  r.  or  cr.  is  a  small  stream  which  falls  in  at  the  town  of  Souris,  now 
reached  by  a  branch  of  the  C.  P.  Ry.  It  comes  from  a  little  lake  of  the  same 
name,  near  another  lake  called  Oak,  which  latter  is  the  sink  of  a  certain  Pipe- 
stone cr.  Henry's  route  thus  far  is  practically  coincident  with  the  railroad,  past 
stations  Methuen  and  Carroll  to  Souris,  a  considerable  distance  N.  of  Mouse  r. , 
which  makes  a  sharp  bend  S.  W.  and  then  turns  W.  N.  W.  to  Souris.  Mouse 
r.  is  crossed  by  the  N.  P.  and  Man.  R.  R.,  at  a  place  called  Wawanesa  or 
Wawonoisa.     Henry  crosses  Plum  r.  at  its  mouth.    (Also  called  Snake  cr.) 

*'  So  called  from  F.  frtne,  the  ash-tree,  and  better  known  as  Ash  house,  the 
name  which  Thompson  uses  :  see  note  ".  It  was  built  in  1795,  and  abandoned 
in  the  spring  of  1796.  The  position  was  in  the  vicinity  of  present  Menteith 
Junction. 


' 


! 


!  !  a 


%\ 


i 


I  ( 


ff;i 


II 


!  r 


[■! 

i    i- 


)f 


306        CLOUDS    OF  MOSQUITOES— BUTTE    DE  SABLE. 

which  we  made  shift  to  keep  the  mosquitoes  away;  our 
provisions  required  no  cooking.  A  strong  breeze  from  the 
E.  kept  the  mosquitoes  down  in  the  grass,  our  fuel  some- 
times emitted  a  gentle  flame,  and  all  was  mirth  until  eleven 
o'clock,  when  suddenly  the  wind  came  about  from  the 
N.  W.,  bringing  a  terrible  thunderstorm.  The  rain  soon 
fell  in  torrents,  the  weather  became  excessively  sultry,  and 
the  mosquitoes  were  upon  us  in  clouds.  Our  situation  was 
truly  miserable,  having  no  other  shelter  than  a  small  tent, 
into  which  was  crowded  all  our  baggage  besides  the  seven 
persons,  nearly  suffocated  by  the  heat  and  mosquitoes. 
Our  horses  could  not  remain  a  moment  quiet,  the  flies  kept 
them  so  enraged.  Some  of  their  fetters  gave  way,  and  oH 
they  went.  We  pursued  them  in  the  dark,  and  found  them 
by  means  ot  the  flashes  of  lightning.  Our  day's  journey 
was  about  14  leagues  W.  S.  W.  by  the  compass. 

/ufy  15th.  When  daylight  appeared  the  storm  ceased, 
but  the  weather  was  still  hot  and  sultry,  and  with  wet 
buffalo  dung  we  could  make  no  smoke.  We  therefore  had 
much  trouble  to  saddle  our  horses,  that  were  dancing  mad 
with  the  mosquitoes.  Every  moment  we  were  in  danger  of 
being  crushed  by  them.  After  much  vexation  we  mounted, 
wet  to  the  skin,  and  proceeded  along  the  banks  of  the  river, 
here  very  high ;  the  current  is  gentle  and  appears  navigable 
for  large  canoes,  except  where  reefs  of  rocks  cross  the  river. 
The  soil  on  both  sides  appears  sandy,  at  some  places  inter- 
mixed with  stones.  Cabbrie  were  in  sight  almost  every 
moment,  but  so  shy  that  we  could  not  get  a  shot.  At  nine 
o'clock  we  came  to  Butte  de  Sable."  Here  we  stopped  to 
refresh  our  horses,  they  having  got  little  rest  last  night. 
From  the  top  of  one  of  those  sandy  hills  we  could  see  Turtle 

*'  Butte  de  Sable  is  a  sandhill  I  do  not  recognize.  It  is  a  few  miles  north  of 
my  route  of  1873  along  the  49th  parallel,  and  I  cannot  find  it  marked  on  any 
map  examined.  But  it  seems  to  be  that  Snake  hill  which  Hind's  map  of  1859 
sets  on  the  W.  bank  of  Mouse  r.,  14  m.  S.  of  Boss  hill,  or  Montnixne  &  la  Bosse, 
the  Assiniboine  trail  from  which  Henry  here  strikes,  and  which  has  already 
been  mentioned  in  note  '*,  p.  398.  Boss  hill  is  between  Plum  cr.  and  Boss  or 
Boss  Hill  cr.,  which  latter  seems  to  be  the  one  now  called  Gopher  cr. 


' 


PLENTY    OF    WATER— ASSINIBOINE    CAMPS. 


307 


our 
i  the 
ome- 
even 
,  the 

sopn 
',  and 
n  was 

tent, 
seven 
aitoes. 
skept 
ind  off 
i  them 
ourney 

ceased, 
ith  wet 
jre  had 
g  mad 
nger  of 
ounted, 
e  river, 
vigable 
le  river. 
;s  inter- 
Lt  every 
At  nine 
Ipped  to 
It  night. 
le  Turtle 

Jes  north  oC 

|ed  on  any 

ap  of  i8S9 

k  la  Bosse, 

lias  already 

Ind  Boss  or 


mountain  bearing  S.  E.,  distant  about  seven  leagues.  At 
ten  o'clock  we  proceeded,  and  having  cleared  the  hills, 
fell  upon  the  Assiniboine  route  from  Montagne  k  la  Bosse, 
which  is  only  one  short  day's  journey  N.  of  us.  The 
heat  was  intolerable,  without  a  breath  of  air,  and  the  mos- 
quitoes tormented  us. 

At  one  o'clock  we  stopped  at  a  small  lake,  as  the  excess- 
ive heat  had  nearly  knocked  the  horses  up.  The  wat'^r 
was  cool  and  pleasant ;  we  all  bathed,  which  refreshed  us 
very  much.  It  is  fortunate  for  us  that  water  is  plentiful. 
It  sometimes  happens  in  this  country,  in  very  dry  seasons, 
that  water  is  only  to  be  found  in  some  particular  creek  or 
lake.  When  this  is  the  case  we  provide  ourselves  with 
small  kegs  or  bladders.  But  this  often  proves  insufficient ; 
some  people  have  lost  their  lives  on  this  account,  and 
others  have  had  very  narrow  escapes,  being  two  days 
without  a  drop  of  water.  This  must  be  still  worse  than  the 
mosquitoes  ;  our  thirst  is  perpetual,  and  at  every  pool  some 
of  us  stretch  out  upon  our  bellies  to  drink.  But  this  year 
we  are  under  no  apprehensions,  heavy  rains  having  filled 
up  every  creek,  lake,  pond,  and  indeed  every  hollow  spot 
in  the  plains. 

At  three  o'clock  we  saddled.  We  passed  several  Assini- 
boine camps  of  this  summer  on  the  banks  of  the  river; 
they  consisted  of  from  30  to  70  tents.  These  people  are 
remarkable  for  choosing  the  most  delightful  spots  to  pitch 
their  tents,  commonly  on  elevated  places,  where  there  is  no 
wood  to  interrupt  the  view.  They  would  be  a  happy 
people,  were  it  not  for  their  continual  wars  and  the  fre- 
quent quarrels  among  themselves,  which  generally  end  in 
bloodshed.  The  common  causes  of  these  quarrels  are 
women  and  horses. 

We  attempted  to  cross  the  river,  but  found  the  water  too 
high,  and  continued  on  the  N.  side.  This  lengthened  our 
route  some  miles,  as  the  river  here  makes  a  considerable 
bend  to  the  N.  W.;  however,  to  make  up  for  this,  we 
pushed  on  faster  than  usual.     The  cool  of  the  evening  was 


!^ 


U 


..'  I. 


308        NORTH    ANTLER    CREEK— MOOSE    MOUNTAIN. 

in  our  favor,  and  at  six  o'clock  we  came  to  the  little  river 
of  T6te  k  la  Biche."  We  had  much  trouble  to  cross  it,  in 
mud  up  to  our  horses'  bellies. 

Here  we  stopped  for  the  night  on  a  beautiful  high  hill, 
at  the  foot  of  which  flowed  the  little  river.  From  Rivifere 
la  Souris  we  got  some  dry  wood,  and  kindled  a  good  fire. 
A  cool  breeze  sprang  up  from  the  N.  W.,  and  kept  down 
the  mosquitoes.  We  had  seen  buffalo  in  great  numbers 
westward  of  us,  and  as  they  were  just  entering  the  rutting 
season,  they  made  a  terrible  bellowing  during  the  night. 
We  found  great  plenty  of  pears  along  the  little  river,  almost 
ripe,  and  very  good  eating. 

Our  course  this  day  has  been  about  W.  S.  W.,  the  same 
as  yesterday,  mostly  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  excepting 
at  some  of  the  great  windings,  which  we  did  not  follow. 
Riviere  la  Souris,  thus  far  up,  is  but  thinly  wooded  ;  at  some 
places,  there  is  none  at  all  for  several  miles.  The  land 
on  each  side  is  high,  and  stretches  out  into  the  level  prairie  ; 
as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  no  wood  is  to  be  seen  in  any 
direction.  The  little  river  we  have  just  crossed  arises  in  a 
range  of  hills  called  Tdte  k  la  Biche,  about  10  leagues  W. 
N.  W.  from  this ;  the  banks  are  very  high  and  free  from 

*^  Tete  i  la  Biche  was  the  name  of  a  considerable  elevation  N.  W.  of  Henry's 
present  position,  now  called  Moose  mt.,  and  also  of  three  streams  which  seek 
Mouse  r.  from  that  quarter.  The  largest  one  of  these  is  present  Moose  Moun- 
tain cr.,  which  comes  S.  E.  from  Moose  Mountain  1.,  near  Hurricane  hills, 
past  Moose  mt.,  and  then  turns  S.  to  enter  Mouse  r.,  near  Oxbow  sta.  of  the 
Souris  branch  of  the  C.  P.  Ry.,  in  Tp.  3,  R.  ii,  W.  of  the  2d  initial  mend. 
This  creek  is  nowhere  near  Henry's  route.  The  first  and  second  T£te  &  la 
Riche  crs.  he  crosses  at  their  mouths  are  those  now  known  respectively  as  N. 
Antler  and  S.  Antler  cr.  They  come  from  Moose  mt.  and  vicinity,  on  approx. 
parallel  courses,  run  S.,  then  loop  E.  from  Assiniboia  into  Manitoba,  and 
finally  nearly  N. ,  to  fall  into  Mouse  r.  close  together,  at  and  near  Sourisford, 
in  Tp.  2,  R.  xxvii,  W.  of  the  princ.  mend.,  almost  exactly  at  long.  loi"  W.  N. 
Antler  cr.  lies  wholly  in  British  America  ;  S.  Antler  cr.  loops  slightly  over  lat. 
49?  N.,  and  thus  enters  the  U.  S.,  meandering  the  international  boundary  for 
a  few  miles.  Several  lesser  streams  run  parallel  with  ilicse  Antler  crs. ,  N.  of 
them,  to  fall  into  Mouse  r.  lower  down,  or  lose  themselves  in  sinks  before 
reaching  it.  'i'wo,  which  effect  a  confluence,  are  called  Graham  cr.  and  Jack- 
son cr.;  Henry  his  passed  them  both,  and  camps  at  the  mouth  of  N.  Antler  cr. 


TURTLE   MOUNTAIN   SIGHTED   AND   NOTED. 


309 


wood.  From  our  camp  we  have  a  good  view  of  Turtle 
mountain,**  about  eight  leagues  E.  of  us.  Our  most 
direct  route  would  have  been  along  the  W.  extremity  of 
that  mountam  ;  but  we  had  been  informed  that  a  numbcr 
of  Crees  and  Assiniboines  were  tented  there,  who  would 
certainly  steal  our  horses  if  they  could — even  pillage,  and, 
perhaps,  murder  us,  as  they  disapprove  of  our  taking  arms 
and  ammunition  to  the  Missourie  to  supply  the  natives 
there,  with  whom  they  are  often  at  war.  We,  therefore, 
thought  it  prudent  to  make  this  circuit  to  avoid  them.  It 
is  called  30  leagues  from  the  establishment  on  the  Assini- 
boine  to  our  present  camp. 

V/e  kept  watch  all  night,  each  in  turn.  Some  herds 
o^  ufTalo  passed  near  us  ;  the  noise  they  made  startled  our 
itcirses  and  made  them  uneasy  for  the  night;  they  ap- 
peared in  one  body  from  E.  to  W.,  on  a  quick  pace,  as  if 
lately  chased  by  horsemen. 

July  i6th.  At  daybreak  we  saddled,  but,  on  mounting,  1 
found  my  seat  very  uncomfortable,  having  a  blister  the  size 
of  a  hen's  egg  under  each  thigh,  occasioned  by  the  excessive 
heat  of  yesterday  and  the  continual  friction  between  my 
saddle  and  leather  trousers.  The  horse  I  rode  was  a  cruel 
beast,  with  the  worst  trot  I  ever  saw ;  both  blisters  burst 
soon,  and  I  was  in  great  pain. 

'*  The  distance  of  Turtle  mt.  from  Mouse  r. ,  on  the  parallel  of  49*  N. ,  is 
30  m.  Henry's  camp  is  further  N.,  and  consequently  at  a  little  greater  dis- 
tance. Though  Turtle  mt.  is  by  far  the  most  conspicuous  object  in  this  region, 
its  actual  elevation  at  the  highest  point  is  only  500  feet  above  the  general  level 
of  the  country.  It  lies  diagonally  across  the  parallel  of  49°,  with  about  one- 
third  of  its  extent  in  the  British  Possessions  ;  the  width  of  the  mountain  from 
E.  to  W.,  along  the  line  of  the  boundary,  is  34  m.;  its  greatest  length,  from 
N.  W.  to  S.  E.,  is  considerably  more.  The  ascent  on  tht  E.  is  very  gradual, 
but  on  the  W.  the  acclivity  is  quite  abrupt,  and  one  descends  quickly  into  the 
valley  of  Mouse  r.  Two  special  points  near  the  S.  VV.  border  of  the  mountain 
are  known  as  Bear  Butte  and  Butte  St.  Paul.  The  mountain  is  simply  a  mass 
of  drift,  heavily  wooded  ;  the  surface  is  dotted  with  many  little  lakes,  one  of 
the  largest  of  which,  on  the  line  of  the  boundary,  and  more  than  a  mile  wide, 
is  Lake  Farquhar,  so-called  for  the  late  Major  F.  U.  Farquhar,  U.S.  A.,  chief 
astronomer  of  the  U.  S.  Northern  Boundary  Survey,  before  that  position  was 
held  by  the  late  Major  William  J.  Twining,  U.  S.  A. 


I 


1 


1:  ' 


I 


«IO       SOUTH  ANTLER  CREEK— MOUSE  RIVER   LEFT. 

At  eight  o'clock  we  crossed  another  little  river  [South 
Antler  creek],  which  takes  its  rise  out  of  the  same  Tdtc  k 
la  Biche.  This  branch  is  much  broader  and  deeper  than 
the  other  [North  Antler  creek].  The  banks  appeared  tol- 
erably well  wooded,  as  far  as  we  could  see.  At  its  junction 
with  Riviere  la  Souris  the  latter  ceases  to  have  any 
wood.  The  banks  here  diminish,  so  that  only  a  few  miles 
higher  up  the  water  appears  upon  a  level  with  the  plains, 
and  looks  more  like  a  chain  of  lakes  surrounded  by  rushes 
and  long,  coarse  grass.  Here  it  also  changes  its  course, 
coming  from  the  S.  E.;  this  direction  it  keeps  for  abouC  20 
leagues,  as  far  up  as  Riviere  aux  Saules  [Willow  creekj, 
when  it  again  assumes  the  appearance  of  a  river,  is  well 
wooded  upon  both  sides,  and  the  banks  are  much  higher. 
On  this  little  river  [South  Antler  creek]  we  found  plenty  of 
pear^,  nearly  ripe ;  we  gathered  a  good  stock,  as  our  guide 
informed  us  that  we  had  an  extensive  plain  to  cross,  and 
should  see  no  more  wood  until  to-morrow,  and  even  water 
would  be  scarce. 

At  nine  o'clock  we  left  [Mouse]  river  and  directed  our 
course  S.  S.  W.  on  a  level  plain.**  We  soon  fell  in  with 
buffalo,  all  in  motion,  from  E.  to  W.,  bellowing  and  tear- 
^  ing  up  the  ground  as  they  went  on.  We  killed  a  bull, 
the  flesh  of  which  is  more  palatable  at  this  season  than  the 
cow.  We  took  each  a  few  slices  and  continued  on  our 
journey.     We  saw  numbers  of  cabbrie'*  of  two  different 

**  Henry  has  by  this  time  crossed  the  boundary  of  the  United  States,  and  en- 
tered North  Dakota,  in  the  N.  W.  comer  of  Bottineau  Co.  He  leaves  Mouse 
r.  on  his  left  as  he  proceeds  S.  S.  W.  over  the  prairie.  It  will  be  difficult  to 
follow  him  exactly,  as  his  itinerary  is  not  very  precise;  his  courses  and  distances 
are  mere  estimates,  and  there  are  few  good  landmarks  in  the  great  loop  of 
Mouse  r.  upon  which  he  has  entered.  Regarding  his  compass-points,  it  may 
be  observed  that  the  magnetic  variation  is  here  about  17*  E.,  so  that  his 
assumed  "  S.  S.  W."  is  considerably  out  of  the  way,  and  his  actual  course  is  more 
westerly.  The  first  stream  he  strikes  is  his  Riviire  Pie,  now  Cut  Bank  cr.  R. 
aux  Saules  or  Willow  cr.  is  higher  up,  and  on  the  other  side  of  Mouse  r. 

'*  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  remark  here  that  there  is  but  one  species  of 
"  cabbrie"  in  North  America  ;  and  that  the  differences  noted  by  Henry,  so  far 
as  actually  existent,  are  due  to  the  age  and  sex  of  the  common  antelope, 


CUT  BANK  CREEK— MURDER  OF  m£naRD. 


311 


kinds,  some  almost  as  large  as  fallow  deer,  and  others  much 
smaller,  red  and  white  spotted ;  the  latter  had  young,  and 
did  not  appear  so  shy  as  those  we  had  seen  before.  The 
young  ones,  sighting  us,  would  run  up  to  us  within  a  few 
yards,  while  the  dams  would  come  on  behind  them  with 
more  caution,  until  their  curiosity  was  satisfied. 

At  noon  we  stopped  to  refresh  our  horses;  in  an  hour 
we  were  again  on  our  march,  and  at  four  o'clock  crossed 
Riviere  Pl^,"  which  takes  its  rise  in  Moose  mountain  about 
15  leagues  W.  from  this,  and,  after  a  course  of  about  20 
leagues  through  an  open  plain,  empties  into  Riviere  la 
Souris,  a  few  leagues  below  Riviere  aux  Saules.  Along  this 
river  no  wood  grows  except  a  few  stunted  willows.  At  this 
place  old   Menard**  was  pillaged  and  murdered  by  three 

Anlilocapra  amerieana  (which  Umfreville  calls  apistochikoshish,  p.  165, 
1790).  Fallow  deer  is  Henry's  name  of  the  common  deer,  Cariatus  vir- 
giniattus. 

*^  Cut  Bank  cr. ,  the  largest  and  only  considerable  tributary  of  Mouse  r.  from 
the  W.  withiii  the  loop  this  river  makes  in  N.  Dakota,  On  the  parallel  of  49? 
N.,  the  point  where  Mouse  r.  enters  N.  Dakota  is  50  m.  W.  of  the  point 
where,  having  made  its  bold  sweep  southward  and  looped  back  upon  itself,  it 
recrosses  the  boundary  of  the  U.  S.  at  49°  N.  again,  30  m.  W.  of  Turtle  mt. 
Cut  Bank  cr.  traverses  this  loop  southeastwardly,  to  fall  into  Mouse  r.  near  Wood 
End;  it  thus  lies  directly  across  Henry's  southwesterly  trail.  We  can  hardly 
say  how  high  up  he  struck  it,  but  the  place  was  in  Renville  Co.,  not  far  from 
the  N.  W.  corner  of  McHenry  Co.  The  G.  L.  O.  map  of  189a  letters  the 
stream  "  Cub  Bank  Cr." 

*•  In  L.  and  C,  p.  178,  note  »*,  I  cite  a  passage  from  Clark,  Codex  C  59, 
which  relates  that  "a  french  man  has  latterly  been  killed  by  the  Indians  on 
the  Track  to  the  tradeing  establishment  on  the  Ossineboine  R."  I  had  at  the 
time  no  clew  to  the  identity  of  the  murdered  Frenchman,  but  have  now  no 
doubt  that  Clark  referred  to  the  "  old  Menard  "  here  mentioned  by  Henry,  as  it 
is  not  likely  that  any  other  murder  would  fit  the  requirements  of  Clark's  rela- 
tions so  closely  as  this  one  does.  There  were  various  other  M^nards  in  the 
fur-trade.— Joseph  Menard  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  was  a  foreman  in  the  Athabasca 
Dept.  in  1804.— Pierre  Mdnard  of  Quebec,  b.  1767,  was  at  Vincennes  as  agt. 
of  Col.  Vigo,  1786,  and  in  1808  associated  himself  with  Manuel  de  Lisa  :  see  L. 
and  C.  ed.  1893;  he  died  at  Kaskaskia,  1814  :  biogr.  in  Tass^,  II.  pp.  55-7*.  He 
had  two  brothers,  Fran9ois  and  Hippolyte,  both  of  whom  left  Quebec  for  Kas- 
kaskia, 1795:  biogr.  of  Franfois  in  Tass-i,  II.  pp.  73-81.  He  had  a  son, 
Pierre  Menard,  jun.— Michel  Branamour  Menard,  nephew  of  Col.  Pierre 
Mdnard  of  Kaskaskia,  b.  La  Prairie,  Canada,  Dec.  5th,  1805;  traded  at  Kas- 


!  ■; 


0>^Mm^ 


3»2 


CUISINE  A    LA  BOrS  DK    V/ CHE. 


Assiniboines  in  1803,  on  his  way  to  the  Missourie.  Having 
crossed  this  river,  we  pushed  on  as  fast  as  possible,  some* 
times  on  a  gallop,  and  never  slower  than  a  trot,  until  sun* 
set,  when  we  stopped  for  the  night  on  the;  open  plains. 

We  found  nr.uch  water  on  this  low  and  level  plain,  and,  of 
course,  mosquitoes  in  abundance.     We  fell  to  work  collect- 
ing buIT.ilo  dung,  of  which  there  was  no  scarcity;  it  was 
(lamp  from  the  late  heavy  rains,  and  would  emit  no  flame ; 
but,  having  set  Brc  to  a  great  pile,  it  made  a  good  smudge. 
Having  no  kettle  to  cook  with,  we  broiled  our  bull's  flesh 
upon  the  dung  /nd  ate  a  hearty  supper,  though  none  of  the 
most-  palatable  or  best  flavored,  as  the  meat  tasted  of  dung. 
The  weather  was  sultry  and  overcast,  which  increased  the 
clouds  of  mosquitoes  intolerably.     Soon  after  dark  it  began 
to  rain,  and,  not  being  provided  with  tent  poles  or  any  sub- 
stJiute  for  them,  we  were   soon  wet  to  the  skin,  and  our 
fire,  or  rather  smoke,  was  as  soon  extingulvhed.     The  night 
was  so  dark  w:  could  not  see  one  another,  a  id  our  horses, 
enraged  by  the  swarms  of  mosquitoes  which  attacked  them, 
were  very  unruly ;  we  dreaded  lest  their  fetters  should  give 
way,   when   they   might  trample  some   of  us,  or  run  off. 
iVbout  midnipht  the  long  line  of  otie  of  them  broke,  but  his 
fore  feet  were  still    tied  together  above   the  hoof,  as  we 
generally  hopple  horses  in  the  North  Wecc      In  jumping 
and  prancing  about  his  hoof  came  down  upon  the  shin- 
bone  of  our  guide,  who  was  stretched  upon  his  back.     The 
horse  was  a  heavy  beast,  and  the  poor  old  Indian  com- 
plained bitter'y  of  the  pain.     W^e  wera  apprehensive  the 
bone  had  been  broken,  but  could  give  him  no  assistance,  as 
it  was  impossible  to  strike  a  light.     We  passed  the  night 
defending  ourselves  from  the  horses  and  the  mosquitoes; 
the  poor  fellow  had  a  miserable  time,  moaning  pitifully. 
When  day  appeared  we  examined  his  leg  and  found  the 
flesh   bruised  shockingly,   very   much  swelled,    and  of  all 

kaskia  for  some  yeai*s  ;  went  to  Nacogdoches,  Tex.,  about  1833  or  1834  ;  took 
part  in  the  convention  which  proclaimed  Texas  independent,  1836;  represented 
Galvest*^-.  Co.  in  Congress,  1838,  and  d.  at  Galveston,  1856. 


,^' 


^^ 


MOUSE  RIVER   RKCJAINED   AND  CROKLiiD. 


3«3 


colors  of  the  rainbow.  However,  we  got  him  on  horse- 
back ;  he  was  really  an  object  of  pity,  and  no  such  a  .ly 
scoundrel  as  that  old  Indian  we  picked  up  on  the  road  be- 
tween Portage  la  Prairie  and  Riviire  la  Souris,  who,  notwith- 
standing his  groans  and  lamentations  on  our  leaving  him  at 
Riviere  aux  ^pinettes,  arrived  at  Riviere  la  Souris  about 
two  hours  after  us.  That  old  vagabond,  perceiving  that  I 
had  an  extra  horse,  schemed  to  ride,  that  he  might  reach  the 
fort  the  sooner,  in  expectation  of  getting  rum  for  payment 
of  his  trip  to  Portage  la  Prairie. 

July  tyth.  Having  thus  mounted  our  guide,  we  left 
this  disagreeable  camp  as  fast  as  possible,  directing  our 
course  by  the  compass  the  same  as  yesterday,  S.  S.  W. 
We  once  more  can\c  to  Riviere  la  Souris,  at  what  is  called 
the  upper  end  of  the  wood."  The  river  runs  here  from  W. 
to  E.;  it  is  broad  and  deep,  with  a  gentle  current,  entirely 
free  from  rapids.  Westward,  no  wood  of  any  kind  is  to  be 
seen.  We  had  some  trouble  to  find  a  proper  ford,  and 
were  obliged  to  go  down  river  some  miles.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  wood  we  killed  a  fat  bull  and  took  some  ihoice 
pieces.  Having  crossed  the  river  with  some  difficulty,  we 
determined  to  stop  here  and  wait  for  fair  weather,  as  we 

^  It  is  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  determine  within  five  or  ten  miles  the 
point  at  which  Henry  strikes  Mouse  r.  again.  He  has  come  across  country,  on 
no  road,  by  uncorrected  compass-points,  at  only  estimated  distances,  diagonally 
toward  the  river.  If  we  hold  him  to  a  continuation  of  the  course  of  the  i6th, 
which  in  fact  is  nearly  that  of  the  15th  also,  we  may  bring  him  to  Mouse  r.  a 
little  below  the  boundary  between  Renville  and  Wood  cos.,  say  18  m.  above 
Burlington  and  36  above  Minot.  Then  he  goes  down  the  river  "some 
miles  "  to  find  a  ford.  In  1873  I  came  along  in  his  tracks  as  he  goes  down  this 
piece,  but  my  memory  does  not  serve  me  now  about  the  point  "  called  the  upper 
end  of  the  wood."  Burlington,  Ward  Co.,  is  at  the  junction  of  Riviire  des 
Lacs,  a  st.-eam  which  arises  about  the  Hill  of  the  Murdered  Scout,  at  49°,  and 
skirts  Mouse  r.  on  the  W.  for  the  whole  of  its  course,  till  it  falls  into  the 
latter  at  Burlington.  Minot  is  the  county  town,  and  notable  as  being  where 
the  Grt.  N.  Ry.  crosses  Mouse  r.  Logan  is  another  place  on  Mouse  r.,  about 
10  m.  below  Minot;  Echo  is  a  third,  6  m.  further  down.  Minot  is  nearly 
due  N.  of  Fort  Stevenson,  on  the  Missouri,  distant  46  m.,  and  also  due  N. 
of  the  point  (mouth  of  Miry  or  Snake  cr.)  where  Henry  is  going  to  strike  the 
Missouri. 


I 


ill, 


1  « 

it 


i 


f 


>  n 


^ii 


n  I 


314         THE  PROSPECT  IN  CAMP  ON   MOUSE  RIVER. 

were  heartily  tired  of  being  drenched  in  the  rain,  which 
still  continued,  and  our  guide  told  us  that  we  should  see  no 
more  wood  until  we  reached  the  Missourie.  Here  we  had 
plenty  of  good  dry  wood,  and,  having  no  notion  of  making 
a  second  supper  upon  buffalo  dung  steaks,  we  made  u 
rousing  good  fire. 

From  the  little  river  of  T«te  k  la  Biche  [North  Antler 
creek]  to  this  place  is  about  2$  leagues  S.  S.  W.  over  a  low, 
level  plain,  until  we  approach  the  banks  of  this  river,  when 
the  country  begins  to  be  hilly  and  rough,  with  deep  valleys. 
The  hills  are  generally  covered  with  large  round  stones, 
some  of  great  size,  and  at  a  distance  appearing  like  pitched 
tents.  From  the  summits  of  those  barren  hills  we  could 
discern  others  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  on  which  the 
bulls  grazing  appeared  like  so  many  black  spots.  We  often 
mistook  red  deer  and  other  animals  at  a  distance  for  people 
on  horseback,  until  we  examined  them  through  our  spyglass. 
In  the  afternoon  the  weather  cleared  up,  with  a  strong 
S.  E.  wind ;  we  had  no  mosquitoes,  and  passed  an  agreeable 
night,  though  we  were  anxious  about  our  horses,  as  the 
Assiniboines  follow  people  for  days  unperceived,  watch 
a  favorable  moment,  and,  when  least  suspected,  make  off 
with  all  the  horses,  leaving  our  people  with  their  property 
to  shift  for  themselves.  And  now  that  we  are  near  the 
border  of  the  Missourie  plains,**  we  must  be  on  our  guard 
against  the  Sioux,  the  natural  enemies  of  all  the  tribes  in 
these  parts.  They  perpetually  wander  about  in  search  of 
straggling  Mandanes  or  Big  Bellies,  and  sometimes  even 
cross  Riviere  la  Souris  in  hopes  of  falling  in  with  Assini- 
boines and  Crees,  who  frequently  hunt  along  this  river, 
particularly  in  winter,  as  summer  would  be  too  dangerous 
for  them  to  advance  so  far  S.  E.  We  kept  watch,  as  usual, 
during  the  night. 
/ufy  i8th.    At  four  o'clock  we  left  camp  and  ascended 

**  That  is,  are  soon  to  be  upon  the  Coteau  du  Missouri,  which  separates  the 
waters  of  the  Missouri  basin  from  those  of  Mouse  r.  and  so  of  the  Assiniboine 
and  Saskatchewan. 


cendcd 

^ates  the 
siniboine 


SOUTH  TO  THE  COTEAU   DU   MISSOURI. 


31$ 


the  high  banks  of  the  river,  directing  our  course  S.  My 
horse  had  made  so  many  blisters  under  my  thighs  that  I 
W.1S  obliged  to  exchange  with  one  of  my  people  for  one  that 
would  carry  me  more  easily.  Soon  after  getting  up  the 
high  banks  we  fell  into  a  rougher  country  than  we  had  seen 
before,  up  steep  hills  and  down  low  valleys  in  continual 
succession.  We  crossed  three  small  rivers"  that  came 
from  the  S.  W.  and  emptied  into  Riviere  la  Souris ;  along 
those  rivers  we  saw  fresh  vestiges  of  beaver,  and  I  suppose 
they  are  numerous.  The  hills  are  covered  with  huge  stones ; 
there  is  no  wood  of  any  kind.  We  passed  several  lakes 
among  the  hills,  from  one  to  five  miles  in  circumference, 
with  gravelly  and  sandy  shores. 

At  one  of  these  delightful  lakes  we  stopped  a  couple  of 
hours,  but  found  the  water  very  bad,  of  a  sulphurous  tasw"^ 
and  smell.  Here  we  killed  a  very  fat  bull;  the  back-fat 
or  dipouille  was  two  inches  thick.  The  cows  often  have 
'  d6pouille  of  this  thickness,  and  some  even  three  inches ; 
but  this  is  rare,  the  common  condition  being  from  one  to 
two  inches.  Bulls  seldom  have  much  d^pouille ;  their  fat 
is  principally  inside  the  animal.  The  one  we  killed  would 
have  produced  nearly  a  hundredweight  of  tallow  from  his 
inside  alone. 

At  one  o'clock  we  saddled  and  proceeded.  Soon  coming 
to  the  top  of  a  high  hill,  we  perceived  a  long  lake  to  the 
S.  W.,  running  N.  and  S.,  with  a  cluster  of  wood  at  the  N. 
extremity;  this  surprised  our  guide,  who  said  he   never 

*'  The  largest  of  these  being  Riviere  des  Lacs,  already  noted,  and  the  others 
being  two  of  the  numerous  coulees  or  washes  which  make  down  from  the 
Coteau  du  Missouri  to  Des  Lacs  and  Mouse  rs.,  from  the  W.  and  S.  W. 
These  may  be  perfectly  dry,  but  in  such  a  wet  season  as  Henry's  was  would 
run  water.  In  striking  southward  for  the  Coteau  Menry  crosses  the  line  of  the 
Grt.  Nor.  Ry.  in  the  vicinity  of  Des  Lacs  sta.,  or  rather  a  little  W.  of  this, 
nearer  Lone  Tree  and  Berthold  sta.  He  at  once  gets  into  rough,  hilly  coun- 
try, the  beginning  of  the  higher  ground  which  forms  the  ridge  of  the  Coteau 
and  bluffs  back  of  Mouse  r.  from  its  southerly  course,  causing  this  stream 
to  loop  E.  and  then  N.,  and  thus  forming  that  bight  which  is  so  remarkable  a 
feature  of  the  stream.  Henry  continues  in  Ward  Co.  until  he  is  fairly  over  the 
Coteau,  and  then  enters  Stevens  Co. 


ii^ 


lis  i 


^tttHU'' 


t. 


u 


III 


1 1 


I 


I 


p 


!  Jflf 


316 


DOG   DEN — ALKALI — THE   MISSOURI   SIGHTED. 


kn'^Vtr  of  any  wooded  lake  in  this  plain,  and  that  we  must 
be  far  from  the  direct  route.  One  of  my  people  who  had 
been  at  the  Missourie  said  it  resembled  the  lake  where 
Morgan  and  Mooney  were  murdered  a  few  years  ago  by 
the  Sioux,  near  the  Mission  du  Chien  ;"  but  our  guide  was 
of  a  contrary  opinion,  and  said  we  must  be  too  far  westward. 
However,  went  to  a  narrow  strait  in  the  lake  about  30 
yards  wide,  where  we  crossed,  having  the  water  up  to  our 
saddles,  but  a  good  sandy  bottom.  We  attempted  to 
drink,  but  found  the  water  to  be  nauseous  and  sulphurous, 
though  perfectly  clear.  After  the  horses  had  got  dry  they 
were  perfectly  incrusted  with  the  white  saline  particles  for 
the  rest  of  the  day.  I  have  observed  that  such  small  lakes 
in  the  plains  gener:illy  have  the  same  nauseous  waters. 
The  beach  is  often  covered  with  a  salt  which  has  the  same 
taste  as  Glauber's"  and  produces  the  same  effect.  Even 
the  water  causes  a  looseness  in  a  very  short  time.  Fresh 
water  is  now  plenty  in  rain  pools,  but  when  the  season  is 
dry  is  to  be  found  only  in  the  rivers  and  large  lakes. 

We  continued  on  our  S.  course  until  five  o'clock,  when, 
ascending  a  range  of  very  high  hills  running  E.  and  W.,  we 
could  discern  through  the  spyglass  the  high  red  banks  of 
the  Missourie,  about  six  leagues  distant.  Here  wc  had  a 
long  consultation.    Some  of  the  party  assured  me  it  was  the 

**  Sic :  read  Maison  du  Chien  and  translate  Dog's  House  or  Dog's  Den. 
This  is  a  conspicuous  elevation  on  the  edge  of  the  Coteau  du  Missouri,  now 
called  Dog  Den  butte  ;  place  there  whose  name  I  find  mapped  as  "  Dogden," 
in  the  S.  W.  portion  of  Church  Co.  There  is  a  considerable  lake  about  5  m. 
from  the  butte,  very  likely  the  one  at  which  the  text  says  Morgan  and  Mooney 
were  murdered.  But  the  guide  was  right  in  maintaining  that  the  lake  they  saw 
no.-'  was  not  this  one,  for  they  are  evidently  many  miles  W.  of  it,  holding  a  S. 
course  from  Mouse  r.  On  the  return  trip,  Henry  keeps  much  further  E.,  and 
then  passes  near  the  Dog's  Den,  which  he  notices  by  name.  It  is  a  conspicu- 
ous  landmark  for  shaping  one's  direct  course  between  Mouse  r.  and  the 
Missouri.     Thompson's  MS.  notes  it  particularly,  with  bearings  and  distances. 

**  The -principal  ingredient  of  the  alkali  with  which  the  water  of  these  small 
lakes  is  saturated  is  in  fact  Glauber's  salt — sulphate  of  soda.  I  have  myself 
seen  in  this  region  many  pools  whose  banks  were  as  white  as  if  drifted  with 
snow,  and  whose  water  would  be  undrinkable,  even  to  the  traveler  who  should 
be  perishing  with  thirst. 


i; 


i 


LOST  ON  THE  COTEAU— ALARMING  OBJECTS.         317 

very  spot  where  the  Pawnee  village  is  situated,  60  leagues 
below  the  Mandanes;  whilst  others,  including  our  guide, 
insisted  that  we  were  too  high  up  river.  Our  situation  was 
perplexing,  and  it  remained  with  me  to  determine  what 
course  we  should  pursue.  I  was  at  a  loss.  It  we  were 
below  the  Mandanes,  and  persisted  in  following  the  river 
downward,  we  should  fall  in  with  the  Pawnees  or  the  Titons, 
both  of  which  nations  we  supposed  to  be  at  war  with 
the  Mandanes  and  would  have  no  mercy  upon  us.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  we  were  above  the  villages  and  kept 
on  westward,  as  some  of  our  party  were  inclined  to  do,  we 
might  travel  to  the  south  branch  of  the  Saskatchewan  with- 
out finding  anybody  except  some  war  party,  who  would  soon 
end  our  troubles  by  knocking  us  in  the  head.  Supposing 
we  should  go  directly  to  the  Missourie  and  follow  it  either 
up  or  down,  none  of  us,  not  even  the  guide,  knew  of  any 
particular  object  along  the  river  to  show  us  where  we  we.e. 
While  smoking  and  talking  the  matter  over  we  saw  two 
bulls  coming  round  a  hill,  grazing  as  they  went  slowly  on. 
This  alarmed  some  of  our  people,  who  insisted  it  was  two 
horsemen  coming  toward  us ;  Veaudrie  and  Ducharme  even 
persuaded  themselves  that  they  could  see  the  riders  whip- 
ping and  kicking  their  horses,  as  is  the  Indian  custom  when 
they  ride  at  full  speed.  But  I  could  plainly  see  that  the 
two  animals  were  walking  slowly,  feeding  as  they  went,  and 
that  what  was  supposed  to  be  the  riders'  arms  lashing  away 
was  the  bulls'  tails,  which  were  kept  in  continual  motion 
to  drive  away  the  flies.  Veaudrie  was  all  consternation, 
and  imagined  himself  near  his  last  moments;  he  openly 
regretted  having  accompanied  me,  and  declared  that  no 
consideration  whatever  would  induce  him  to  undertake 
another  such  journey,  could  he  but  escape  the  present 
dinger.  Meanwhile  the  bulls  disappeared  behind  a  rising 
ground ;  but  this  only  increased  the  anxiety  of  V.  and  D., 
who  supposed  the  enemy  were  surrounding  us.  We  rode 
oH  toward  a  high  hill,  on  the  top  of  which  was  a  person 
who  had  gone  there  with  the  spying-glass  before  the  suspi- 


ill 


Mifl 


318 


ENTRENCHED  CAMP— THE  OUTLOOK. 


I 


i 


ii 


!  n 


I 


f' 


cious  objects  appeared.  Having  joined  him,  he  informed 
us  they  were  bulls.  Bravery  instantly  appeared  on  the 
countenances  of  those  who,  a  few  moments  before,  had 
given  themselves  up  for  lost. 

Being  still  undetermined  what  course  to  take,  we  thought 
best  to  remain  on  the  hill  for  the  night.**  Accordingly,  we 
collected  a  quantity  of  buffalo  dung,  which  we  found  tol- 
erably dry  on  this  elevated  spot,  made  a  good  fire,  and 
formed  a  kind  of  entrenchment  around  it  with  our  baggage, 
saddles,  and  some  large  stones.  From  our  camp  we  had  a 
delightful  prospect.  Southward  were  the  steep  red  banks 
of  the  Missourie,  about  five  leagues  distant,  beyond  which 
the  land  appeared  still  to  rise  in  a  range  of  very  high  blue 
hills  running  E.  and  W.  On  the  S.  W.  about  three  [?] 
leagues  distant,  appeared  a  range  of  barren  hills,  the  high- 
est we  had  yet  seen ;  we  afterward  were  informed  it 
was  the  banks  of  the  Little  Missourie.  To  the  N.  W.  and 
N.  the  country  stretched  into  a  smooth,  level  plain,  with 
a  number  of  small  lakes,  whose  white  shores  beautifully 
contrasted  with  the  adjoining  verdure.  At  some  distance 
beyond  these  lakes  the  land  appeared  to  rise  into  high 
hills,  covered  with  large  round  stones.  Eastward  there 
appeared  a  level  country  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  No 
wood  was  to  be  seen  in  any  direction,  for  what  there  is  of 
it  upon  the  Missourie  stands  upon  the  borders  of  the  river, 
below  the  high  banks,  and  cannot  be  seen  until  these  are 
reached.  We  determined  to  keep  watch  during  the  night. 
Our  horses  were  tied  where  they  had  plenty  of  good  grass, 
and  each  of  us  in  our  turn  went  the  rounds. 

**This  camp  may  be  approximately  located  on  the  border  of  Stevens  Co. 
next  to  Garfield — possibly  further  W.  still,  in  Garfield  Co.,  about  the  boundary 
of  the  present  Berthold  Indian  reservation.  Neither  of  these  counties  has  been 
surveyed,  and  in  fact  we  know  little  more  of  the  topographical  details  of  Henry's 
present  position  than  we  gather  from  his  manuscript.  This  blank  occurs  on 
the  best  maps,  both  civil  and  military,  that  we  possess.  The  approximate  loca- 
tion that  I  venture  is  inferred  partly  from  the  general  "south  "  course  since 
leaving  Mouse  r.  and  the  supposed  length  of  a  full  day's  journey,  but  more 
from  the  statement  we  have  for  next  day,  when,  after  an  hour's  travel,  the 
guide  recognized  the  Snake's  Den,  then  bearing  about  la  m.  E.  S.  E. 


SULLEN  SILENCE— SNAKE  S  DEN  SIGHTED. 


319 


high 
there 
No 

IS  of 

river, 

!se  are 

night. 

grass, 


July  t^th.  At  daybreak  it  was  very  cold,  and  our  fingers 
were  benumbed  in  saddling.  Sullen  silence  reigned.  I 
must  confess  my  mind  was  not  at  ease,  my  people  being  so 
far  from  agreeing  as  to  our  situation.  Three  of  them  had 
already  been  to  the  Mandanes,  one  of  them  no  later  than 
last  year.  It  was  those  very  fellows  who  insisted  that  we 
were  too  low  down.  The  western  "  course  we  had  kept  since 
leaving  Riviere  la  Souris  establishment  persuaded  me  that 
our  guide  was  right,  and  that  we  n<ust  be  above  the  vil- 
lages ;  but  having  many  voices  against  me,  I  did  not  wish 
to  insist  upon  it.  I,  therefore,  desired  my  guide  to  go 
which  way  he  thought  proper,  either  E.  or  W.  He 
instantly  mounted  his  horse  and  turned  eastward,  edging 
for  the  Missourie.  Some  murmured,  others  were  silent; 
but  all  followed  him.  Soon  after  leaving  camp  we  found 
the  carcass  of  a  cow,  which  had  been  lately  killed,  and  the 
head  opened  to  take  out  the  brains.  This  revived  the 
drooping  spirits  of  some  of  our  party ;  as  no  war  party 
would  take  out  the  brains  of  an  animal,  it  must  have  been 
done  by  some  hunters,  who  we  hoped  were  Mandanes. 

At  eight  o'clock  we  crossed  the  miry,  muddy  rivulet," 
which  appears  to  come  from  the  salt  lake  we  passed  yester- 
day, and  empties  into  the  Missourie.  At  nine  o'clock,  on 
ascending  a  high  hill,  our  guide  pointed  out  the  Loge 
de  Serpent,'*  distant  about  five  leagues  E.  S.  E.     This  dis- 

^  Henry  does  not  mean  that  the  coune  had  been  "  west,"  but  simply  that  from 
the  beginning  of  the  journey  they  had  held  considerably  W.  of  S.,  in  com- 
parison with  the  more  directly  S.  course  usually  traveled  from  the  "  Riviire 
la  Souris  establishment "  at  the  confluence  of  Mouse  r.  with  the  Assiniboine. 

**  I  do  not  venture  upon  any  identification  of  this  "  miry,  muddy  rivulet,"  in 
the  uncertainty  attending  Henry's  route  from  Mouse  r.,  and  in  our  ignorance 
of  the  topography  of  most  of  Stevens  and  Garfield  cos.  When  these  are  sur- 
veyed and  mapped,  it  may  not  be  difficult  to  lay  down  Henry's  trail  from  the 
topographical  details  he  gives.  At  present,  I  can  only  refer  to  L.  and  C,  ed. 
1893,  p.  269,  for  whet  is  said  of  that  stream  which  the  explorers  called  Onion  cr. 
This,  or  one  very  near  it,  may  turn  out  to  be  the  "  miry,  muddy  rivulet "  which 
Henry  mentions. 

^  Well  known  as  the  Snake's  Den — an  eminent  landmark  at  the  mouth  of 
Miry  or  Snake  cr.,  where  Henry  is  about  to  strike  the  Missouri.    The  state- 


; 


320       SPEECH   RECOVERED— THE   MISSOURI   STRUCK. 


covcry  had  an  imiiiediate  effect;  like  so  many  Quakers 
whom  the  spirit  moved,  all  instantly  recovered  the  power 
of  speech,  and  our  guide  was  pestered  with  idle  questions. 
Was  he  sure  he  was  not  mistaken  ?  Did  he  really  remem- 
ber the  place  ?  Might  not  some  other  place  resemble  it? 
What  particular  object  did  he  sec  to  convince  him  he  was 
right  ?  The  poor  fellow  lost  all  patience,  and  would 
answer  no  such  foolishness.  We  jogged  on  till  noon  as 
fast  as  our  fatigued  beasts  would  go,  passing  three  rivu- 
lets,*' near  which  stand  several  conical  hills,  from  50  to  100 
feet  high.  They  appear  to  be  composed  of  soft  red 
gravel,  with  streaks  of  white  and  blue,  without  any  vegeta- 
tion  whatever,  and  at  a  distance  look  like  brick  buildings. 

We  soon  sighted  the  waters  of  the  Missourie,  and  de- 
scended the  high  banks  at  the  entrance  of  Riviere  Bour- 
beuse."  We  had  much  difficulty  in  crossing  this  small  river, 
as  both  sides  were  soft  clay,  into  which  our  horses  sunk 
deeply.  Having  washed  and  cleaned  them  and  ourselves  in 
the  Missourie,  we  stopped  to  allow  oar  horses  to  feed.  We 
saw  many  tracks  of  the  natives  on  the  beach,  going  and 
coming,  some  quite  fresh ;  also,  an  abundance  of  last  year's 
corn-cobs.  We  surprised  two  fallow  deer  lying  in  the  hol- 
low, but  they  escaped,  although  we  started  them  not  10 
yards  off. 

ment  that  this  place  is  "  about  5  leagues  E.  S.  E."  serves  to  fix  the  position  of 
the  party  for  the  first  time  since  they  left  Mouse  r.  They  have  certainly  been 
blundering  too  far  westward. 

**  Two  creeks  which  answer  to  these  fall  into  the  Missouri  at  Fort  Stevenson 
(abandoned  by  tht  military  in  the  summer  of  1883.  and  used  for  Indian  school 
purposes  since  Decer 
Garrison,  the  latter 
now  unite  in  the  r: 
stands  on  the  bank  ' 
low  {Salix  cordata),  ^ 


-c. 


'  of  that  year).     These  two  creeks  are  Douglass  and 
•ver  one.     In  fact  they  form  but  forks  of  one,  as  they 
bottom  before  falling  into  the  Missouri.      The  fort 
een  these  ;  the  bottom  is  full  of  brush,  diamond  wil- 
Eitherof  these  creeks  may  branch  S.  of  Henry's  trail, 
and  thus  count  as  two,  making  the  "  three  "  he  enumerates. 

^Miry  cr.  or  r.,  of  L.  and  C,  ed.  1893,  pp.  a6i,  1176,  translating  the  then 
current  F.  name  Bourbeuse ;  also  Mirey  and  Myry  in  the  codices ;  now 
Snake  cr. ,  so-called  from  the  name  of  the  bold  bluffs  Henry  mentions  as  the 
Loge  de  Serpent.  This  stream  flows  S.  W.  into  the  Missouri,  in  McLean 
Co.,  6  m.  by  the  road  from  Fort  Stevenson,  in  Stevens  Co. 


SNAKE  AND   WOLF  CREEKS— PRICKLY  PEAR. 


321 


tvenson 
school 
and 
they 
fort 
id  wil- 
l's trail, 

lie  then 
;  now 
as  the 

[cLean 


At  two  o'clock  we  saddled  and  proceeded  along  the 
water-side,  at  the  foot  of  the  Loge  de  Serpent,**  which  is  a 
stupendous  bank  on  the  N.  side  of  the  Missourie,  about 
300  feet  perpendicular ;  the  side  fronting  the  river  is  steep 
and  bare,  composed  of  red  gravel  mixed  with  flat,  crum- 
bling stones  of  a  bluish  and  iron  color  with  streaks  of  white. 
From  the  face  of  this  bank  issue  several  rills  of  clear,  cold 
water,  in  some  places  boiling  up  several  inches,  and  having 
the  same  taste  as  mineral  springs. 

A  short  distance  from  the  foot  of  this  bank  stands  the 
Big  Belly  winter  village.*'  The  water  was  so  high  that 
the  huts  appeared  almost  overflowed.  Near  this  place  are 
great  quantities  of  fruit,  all  perfectly  ripe — pears,  choke- 
cherries,  red  cherries,  raspberries,  and  gooseberries. 
Pomme  de  raquette  "  grows  here  in  great  plenty  and  very 
large,  some  the  size  of  the  hand  ;  it  is  paii.ful  to  horses, 
when  they  happen  to  tread  upon  it,  for  the  points  project 
on  all  sides,  as  strong  and  sharp  as  awls.  The  plants  lie  in 
clusters  on  the  ground,  and  are  generally  flat  and  green. 
The  river  here  is  well  wooded  on  every  low  point,  where  it 
does  not  approach  too  near  the  high  banks. 

Having  passed  this  place  we  proceeded  over  a  rough 
country  for  a  few  miles  to  a  high,  steep  bank,  which  our 
horses  could  iiardly  climb.  We  were  obliged  to  walk  most 
of  the  way,  as  it  was  impossible  for  horses  to  ascend  such 
heights  with  a  rider,  and  were  all  quite  harassed  when  we 

^  Snake  hill,  noted  in  L.  and  C,  ed.  1893,  p.  261,  as  "  a  hill  called  Snake 
den,"  thus  translating  F.  Loge  de  Serpent.  In  connection  with  this  hill,  L.  and 
C.  note  "a  small  run"  on  the  right,  which  they  make  a^  m.  below  the  mouth 
of  Miry  cr.  This  is  now  known  as  Wolf  cr.,  falling  in  at  lat.  47"  80'  N.,  in 
McLean  Co. 

*'  "On  the  north  a  hunting-camp  of  Minnetarees,  consisting  of  30  lodges,  built 
in  the  usual  form  of  earth  and  timber,"  L.  and  C,  ed.  1893,  p.  261,  where  this 
camp  or  village  is  located  2^  n^..  below  Miry  cr.,  and,  therefore,  about  the 
mouth  of  Wolf  cr. 

*'  The  prir'  ly-pear  (Ofiuntia),  so  called  from  the  racket-shaped,  or  rather 
oval,  flat,  and  fleshy  join  >  of  the  stem,  beset  with  prickles,  and  bearing  upon 
their  edges  a  juicy  fruit,  the  "  pommes  "  of  the  Canadians,  and  the  "  tunas  "  of 
the  Spanish- Americans. 


m 


322        oPrEK  BlCi  BELLY    VILLAGE  ON   KNIFE   RIVER. 

reached  the  summit  of  this  last  hill.  Here  we  had  a 
delightful  and  extensive  prospect  of  the  river  in  both 
directions.  Its  borders  arc  veil  lined  with  wood  of  various 
kinds.  The  valley  through  which  the  river  courses  is 
about  two  milos  wide,  confined  on  both  sides  by  stupendous 
banks,  on  which  nothing  grows  but  a  short  gra^^s.  In 
many  places,  whv'sre  the  bends  encroach  on  the  banks,  these 
are  entirely  naked,  large  iraginents  of  soil  having  given 
way  and  fallen  either  into  the  river  or  plains.  Our  situa- 
tion was  so  elevated  as  to  nr^akc  the  large  trees  below  us 
appear  like  mere  bushes.  This  spot  is  one  of  the  most 
elevated  pieces  of  ground  on  the  banks  of  the  Missourie. 
The  water  overflows  the  lower  bank  in  many  places  in  the 
spring  on  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice ;  the  current,  of 
course,  must  be  then  increased  to  an  astonishing  velocity. 

We  had  now  a  well-beaten  path,  but  were  several  times 
in  danger  of  breaking  our  necks  in  deep  pits  which  the 
natives  had  dug  in  the  path  to  catch  wolves  and  foxes  in 
winter.  Some  of  them  are  lo  feet  deep,  hollowed  out  to  a 
space  about  30  feet  in  circumference,  whilst  the  entrance  is 
no  wider  than  the  foot-path  and  about  five  feet  in  length. 
Those  holes  are  covered  with  dry  grass  at  the  season  when 
wolves  are  good,  and  every  morning  are  found  to  contain 
some  of  those  animals.  In  summer  the  grass  grows  strong 
and  high  about  the  mouths,  entirely  concealing  them,  until 
one  arrives  upon  the  very  brink  and  is  in  danger  of  tumb- 
ling in  headlong. 

At  four  o'clock  we  descended  a  large  sloping  hill  and 
arrived  at  the  river-side  opposite  the  upper  Big  Belly  vil- 
lage," which  is  situated  on  Knife  river,  about  one  mile  from 
the   Missourie.     Here  we  stopped,  called  out,  and  waited 


**  This,  the  main  or  larger  of  the  two  Minnetaree,  Grosventre,  or  Hidatsa 
villages,  was  situated  on  the  ^.  side  of  Knife  r.,  about  i^  m.  above  its  mouth, 
and  thus  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  present  town  of  Causey,  Mercer  Co. : 
see  L.  and  C,  ch.  v.,  passim,  esp.  pp.  184,  ig8,  I177.  This  is  the  /l/tA 
and  last,  or  uppermost,  of  the  villages  of  which  L.  and  C.  treat,  and  was  the 
residence  of  Le  Borgne. 


LOWER  DIG  BELLY,  SOULIER,  AND  MANDAN  VILL.      323 

some  time  for  the  natives  to  come  and  ferry  us  over,  but 
they  appeared  to  take  little  notice  of  us.  We  mounted, 
and  went  down  river  about  five  miles  to  that  Mandane  viU 
lage  **  which  is  situated  on  the  N.  side  of  the  river ;  having 
noticed,  as  we  passed  down,  the  little  Big  Belly  village,**  and 
the  Saulteur  [sic]  village,**  both  situated  on  the  S.  side. 

Before  we  reached  the  [Mandan]  village,  we  passed 
through  a  wood  about  two  miles  long.  The  road  was  bad, 
deep  with  mud  and  mire,  the  river  having  overflowed  there 
lately.  Having  got  through  this  wood,  we  came  to  several 
plantations  of  corn,  beans,  squashes,  and  sunflowers — the 
latter,  indeed,  grow  in  every  direction,  without  cultivation, 
at  some  distance  from  the  fields,  where  the  seed  has  been 
carried  by  the  wind ;  but  such  are  never  gathered  by  the 
natives,  as  they  arc  not  so  good  as  those  that  have  been 
properly  sown  and  taken  care  of.  We  passed  through  one 
of  the  old  village;^,  abandoned  a  few  years  ago  ;  the  soil  in 

*•  The  second  of  the  two  Mandan  villages  of  L.  and  C,  "  which  is  called 
Rooptahee,"  p.  183.  This  was  on  the  N.  side  of  t^e  Missouri,  and  was  the  only 
one  of  the  five  thus  situated.  It  was  about  4  m.  by  river  above  the  site  of  Fort 
Mandan,  and  somewhat  above  the  first  Mandan  village,  on  the  S.,  "at  the  dis- 
tance of  three  miles  across,"  p.  197.  In  Rooptahee  lived  Poscopsahe,  or  Black 
Cat,  "  the  first  chief  of  the  village  and  the  grand  chief  of  the  whole  Mandan 
nation,"  p.  183. 

*•  1\it  fourth  of  the  five  villages  of  L.  and  C. — "  the  fourth  village,  where  the 
Minnetarees  live,  and  which  is  called  Metaharta,"  p.  183 ;  "  on  the  south  side  of 
the  same  Knife  river,  half  a  mile  above  the  Mahaha  [village]  luid  in  the  same 
open  plain  with  it  is  a  village  of  the  Minnetarees  sumamed  Metaharta,"  p. 
198  :  see  also  p.  ii?8. 

*•  The  third  of  the  five  villages  of  L.  and  C. — "  the  third  village,  which  is 
called  Mahawha  [or  Mahaha  or  Maharhar]  and  where  the  Arwacahwas  reside," 
p.  183  ;  "  a  village  of  Ahnahaways,"  p.  180  ;  "  of  the  Wetersoon  or  Ahwahhar- 
ways,"  p.  180  ;  "  situated  on  a  high  plain  at  the  mouth  of  Knife  river,  and  is 
the  residence  of  the  Ahnahaways,  .  .  .  called  by  the  French  Soulier  Noir  or 
[Black]  Shoe  Indians  ;  by  the  Mandans  Wattasoc.is,"  p.  197:  see  also  p.  1 178. 
These  Indians,  whom  Henry  or  his  copyist  misctJlr  Saulteurs,  were  known  to 
the  French  as  Gens  des  Souliers,  and  so  called  by  Lewis  in  his  Statistical  View, 
1809,  p.  20.  They  kept  up  a  separate  tribal  organization  for  about  30  years 
after  Henry  found  them,  and  then  merged  in  the  Hidatsas.  Their  proper  name 
is  Amahami.  Their  village  was  only  about  half  a  mile  from  Metaharta.  The 
locality  of  both  is  the  present  site  of  Stanton,  Mercer  Co. 


I 


■■'« 


I  I 


'VI' 


1 


324        DESERTED  VILLAGE— HOSPITABLE  BLACK  CAT. 


h 


If 


f%i 


?! 

11 


.1' 


1^  f 


its  environs  not  producing  so  well  as  formerly,  they  have 
now  built  about  a  mile  lower  down  the  river.  Near  this 
deserted  village "  we  saw  great  numbers  of  their  dead  ex< 
posed  upon  stages  about  eight  feet  fronf  the  ground.  Many 
of  the  coverings,  which  are  generally  of  dressed  leather  and 
parchment,  were  still  very  good,  whilst  others  were  decayed, 
and  nothing  but  the  bones  appeared ;  others,  again,  were 
decaying  and  falling  to  the  groimd  as  the  stages  went  to 
pieces.  This  melancholy  sigh  cat  .  a  damper  on  our  spirits, 
which  had  been  enlivc  5  i  t     rci.rl:  ;ng  our  destination. 

We  soon  met  a  Maitdani;,  v fll  armed  with  his  gun,  etc.; 
he  accompanied  a  party  cu^jp  hoeing  corn,  and  served 

as  their  guard.  On  perceiving  u  ,  .  e  came  up  and  shook 
hands  in  a  friendly  manner,  and  expressed  himself  by  signs 
that  we  should  put  up  at  his  village.  We  saw  many  chil- 
dren and  women  at  work  in  the  cornfield.  Just  before  we 
entered  the  village  we  were  met  by  the  chief  of  the  place, 
Le  Chat  Noir,"  and  a  number  of  the  natives ;  everyone 
shook  hands  and  bade  us  welcome  as  we  rode  on  through 
their  ranks.  The  chief  then  conducted  us  to  one  of  liis 
huts,  which  was  app-  opriated  for  the  reception  of  strangers. 
He  has  another,  in  which  most  of  his  family  reside.  He 
keeps  one  of  his  wives  in  the  house  we  entered,  to  wait 
upon  his  guests,  cook,  bring  water,  and  even  serve  as  1  bed- 
fellow  when  required.  In  a  moment  the  whole  village 
flocked  around  us,  curious  to  see  what  articles  we  had 
brought  to  trade  ;  but  they  were  neither  troublesome  nor 
impertinent.  Having  unsaddled  and  taken  our  baggage 
into  the  hut,  the  chief  gave  our  horses  in  charge  of  a  young 
man,  and  told  us  we  need  not  be  uneasy,  as  good  care 

*'  One  of  the  two  that  were  on  the  N.  side  of  the  Missouri  till  after  1798  : 
"  the  two  villages  on  the  northwest  side  of  the  Missouri.  .  .  In  this  situation 
they  were  found  by  those  who  visited  them  in  1796  ;  since  which  the  two  vil- 
lages have  united  into  one,"  L.  and  C,  p.  197.  The  two  that  were  inhabited 
at  the  time  of  Henry's  visit  were  the  one  on  the  N.  and  the  other  on  the  S.  side 
of  the  river,  respectively  the  secomi  and  the  yirst  of  L.  and  C. 

**  The  Black  Cat,  otherwise  Poscopsahe,  of  L.  and  C,  passim,  esp.  pp.  183, 
83'.  II78- 


BILL  OF  FARE — CARE  OF  HORSES. 


325 


I   J 


would  be  taken  of  them.  On  going  into  the  hut  we  found 
buffalo  hides  spread  on  the  ground  before  the  (ire  for  us  to 
sit  upon,  and  were  presented  with  two  large  dishes  of  boiled 
corn  and  beans.  After  that  they  gave  us  a  large  dish  of 
boiled  dried  meat ;  but  few  of  us  could  eat  of  it,  as  it  had 
too  strong  a  taste  and  smell.  This  was  just  to  their  own 
palate,  as  they  seldom  eat  meat  until  it  begins  to  smell. 
We  were  ipvited  into  several  huts  successively  and  pre- 
sented with  dried  meat  in  a  state  of  corruption,  corn  and 
beans,  together  with  parched  corn  and  fresh  ears  pounded 
up  in  a  wooden  mortar ;  this  last  dish  wc  found  good. 

They  soon  asked  us  to  trade,  and  brought  buffalo  robes, 
corn,  beans,  dried  squashes,  etc.;  but  we  informed  them 
that  we  did  not  come  here  for  that  purpose,  merely  to  visit 
them  and  see  the  country.  They  could  not  comprehend 
why  we  should  have  conr  v  so  far  out  of  mere  curiosity,  and 
said  that  all  white  people  who  came  there  did  so  with  a 
view  to  trade.  They  suspected  that  we  had  goods  which 
we  wished  to  take  over  the  river  to  the  other  villages,  snA 
,/ere  anxious  to  prevent  it.  They  plagued  us  until  dark, 
when  they  retired  disappointed. 

Our  young  man  brought  the  horses  and  put  them  into 
the  l.ut  with  us,  at  the  right  hand  on  entering,  we  being  on 
the  left ;  a  space  was  inclosed  with  a  railing  to  keep  them 
within  bounds.  It  is  customary  for  these  people  to  occupy 
one  side  of  the  hut  and  the  horses  the  other ;  their  habita- 
tions consequently  have  an  offensive  smell  to  the  nose  of  a 
stranger.  This  is  a  precaution  to  keep  the  horses  from  be- 
ing stolen  by  the  Assiniboines  and  other  enemies,  who 
frequently  lurk  about  the  village. 

Toward  evening,  having  gone  down  to  the  river-side,  I 
observed  their  custom  of  washing  themselves  in  the  Mis- 
sourie.  Both  men  and  women  make  it  a  rule  to  go  down  to 
the  river  and  wash  every  morning  and  evening.  The  men 
use  clay  to  wash  their  hair,  which  answers  the  purpose  of 
soap  to  take  out  the  white  and  red  earth  with  which  they 
daub  it  afresh  every  morning.     Modesty  in  the  female  sex 


.1 


I  r 

!     it 


.*».»:>     ■  <    .       .'    )^',      \W 


326 


SCENIC   EFFECTS  OF  EDENIC  SIMPLICITY. 


appears  \.y  be  .1  virtue  unknown.  The  women  wear  a  kind 
of  leather  jhift  which  reaches  down  to  the  calves  of  their 
legs ;  this  they  slip  off  at  some  distance  from  the  shore  and 
walk  deliberately  into  the  water,  entirely  naked,  in  the 
presence  of  numbers  of  men,  both  old  and  young,  who  pay 
no  attention  to  them.  Some  few  are  modest  enough  to 
conceal  ^vith  one  hand  what  should  not  be  exposed  to  pub< 
lie  view,  but  even  this  is  done  so  carelessly  as  seldom  to 
answer  the  purpose — a  flea  or  a  louse,  of  which  they  have  a 
good  store,  will  make  them  raise  the  hand  to  the  parts 
attacked,  leaving  their  nudities  exposed.  The  river  being 
very  shallow  for  some  distance  from  shore,  they  make  no 
scruple  of  standing  only  knee  deep,  and  thus  wash  them^ 
selves  before  going  out  further  to  swin; ;  and  in  coming  out 
they  pass  close  by  you  as  unconcernedly  as  if  they  had  on  a 
petticoat  or  shift.  They  sometimes  bundle  up  their  leather 
garment  under  the  arm  or  in  one  hand  and  walk  deliberately 
into  the  village  to  t^tir  own  huts,  where  they  sit  by  the  fire 
to  dry  themselves  in  the  presence  of  everyone ;  and  then, 
having  chatted  for  some  time  with  their  families,  they  go  to 
bed  entirely  naked.  The  men  wear  no  other  covering  in 
summer  than  bufTalo  robes,  and  even  those  are  seldom  worn 
within  doors,  being  only  thrown  on  when  they  go  out  to 
visit  or  walk  about  the  village.  Both  sexes  sleep  naked ; 
their  beds  are  raised  about  two  feet  from  the  ground  and 
hung  around  with  dressed  skins ;  in  summer  they  seldom 
ever  use  any  covering  at  night,  but  lie  like  so  many  brutes. 
This  evening  we  were  plagued  for  some  time  by  young 
women,  who  came  in  and  wanted  to  lie  with  us ;  but  as  we 
did  not  care  to  accept  their  kind  offers,  they  retired  very 
much  displeased,  and  muttering  something  we  could  not 
understand. 

About:  midnight  we  were  awakened  by  some  extraor- 
dinary noise  in  the  village.  On  going  to  the  outer  porch 
door  I  ss.;v  about  25  persons  of  both  sexes,  entirely  naked, 
going  about  the  village  singing  and  dancing.  At  times  they 
withdrew  in  couples,  but  soon  rejoined  their  companions  in 


FRUIT  OF  THE  FORBIDDEN   TREE. 


327 


the  dance  and  song.     During  this  short  separation  from  the 
rest  they  appeared  to  be  very  closely  engaged,  and  notwith- 
standing the  night  was  dark  I  coqld  perceive  them  occupied 
in  enjoying  each  other  with  as  little  ceremony  as  if  it  had 
been  only  the  common  calls  of  nature.    This  affair  con- 
tinued about  two  hours,  during  which  they  made  the  tour 
of  the  village  several  times.    What  was  the  meaning  of  this 
ceremony  I  could  not  learn ;  but  certainly  there  could  be  no 
performance   more   lascivious  than  the  one   I  witnessed. 
The  young  men  kept  watch  during  the  night,  sitting  on  the 
tops  of  the  huts  or  walking  round  the  village,  singing  amor- 
ous songs  to  their  partici*.lar  favorites.     This  is  done,  I  am 
told,  to  prevent  a  surprise  in  case  an  enemy  may  be  at 
hand.     Love  is  not  made  by  entering  the  tent  at  night  and 
lying  down  near  the  woman,  as  it  is  among  other  nations  I 
have  seen.     The  custom  here  is  to  barricade  the  doors  of 
the  huts  during  the  night  and  not  admit  the  young  men. 
The  latter  therefore  employ  the  night  in  addressing  love 
songs  to  their  mistresses,  who  either  come  out  of  the  huts 
immediately,  or  wait  till  daybreak,  when  they  repair  to  the 
cornfields  and  are  soon  followed  by  the  young  men,  who 
enjoy  their  company  and  take  every  liberty.    The  young 
men  then  return,  and,  if  no  hunting  party  offers,  pass  the 
day  on  the  tops  of  the  huts,  sleeping  in  the  san,  or  stroll- 
ing from  hut  to  hut,  eating  corn  and  smoking  Missouri*; 
tobacco.     At  other  times  they  amuse  themselves  by  run- 
ning n  ces  either  on  foot  or  horseback,  and  performing  war- 
like manoeuvres;  they  have  also  a  favorite  game  which 
occupies  much  of  their  time. 

Sunday,  July  20th.  At  daybreak  we  were  all  up,  and  I 
took  a  walk  down  to  the  river,  where  I  witnessed  the  cere- 
mony of  washing  with  as  little  reserve  as  before.  Our  host 
on  my  return  presented  us  with  dried  meat,  and  then  a  dish 
of  corn  and  beans ;  but,  as  the  latter  is  not  cooked  with  any 
kind  of  grease  or  fat,  it  has  a  very  insipid  taste.  The  corn 
is  generally  bruised  or  pounded  in  a  wooden  mortar,  which 
is  fixed  firmly  into  the  ground  in  one  corner  of  the  hut ; 


\ 


i 


m 


3«8 


CUI.INARV   UTENSILS  OK  THE   MANDANS. 


and  this  is  the  first  work  performed  by  the  women  in  the 
morning  after  having  paid  their  devoirs  to  their  lovers  and 
washed  themselves  in  the  M'Si^ourie.  Their  sweet  corn  and 
beans  are  boiled  whole.  They  use  large  earthen  pots  of 
their  own  manufacture  of  a  black  clay  which  is  plentiful 
near  their  villages.  They  make  them  of  dliTerent  sizes, 
from  five  gallons  to  one  quart.  In  these  vessels  nothing  of 
a  greasy  nature  is  cooked,  every  family  being  provfded  with 
a  brass  or  copper  kettle  for  the  purpose  of  cooking  flesh. 
Whether  this  proceeds  from  superstition  or  not  I  cannot 
pretend  to  say,  but  they  assured  us  that  any  kind  of  flesh 
cooked  in  those  earthen  pots  would  cause  them  to  split. 
One  or  more  of  the  largest  kind  is  constantly  boiling  pre- 
pared corn  and  beans,  and  all  who  come  in  are  welcome  to 
help  themselves  to  as  much  as  they  can  eat  of  the  contents. 
The  bottoms  of  these  pots  are  of  a  convex  shape ;  much 
care  is  therefore  required  to  keep  them  from  upsetting. 
For  this  purpose,  when  they  are  put  to  the  fire  a  hole  is 
made  in  the  ashes  to  keep  them  erect,  and  when  taken  away 
they  are  placed  upon  a  sort  of  coil  made  of  bois  blanc  fibers. 
These  coils  or  rings  are  of  different  sizes,  according  to  the 
dimensions  of  the  several  pots.  Some  pots  have  two  ears 
or  handles,  and  are  more  convenient  than  those  with 
none. 

Early  this  morning  our  young  hostler  took  our  horses 
to  feed  in  the  meadow,  but  never  allowed  them  to  be 
for  a  moment  out  of  his  sight,  lest  the  Assiniboines  or 
other  enemies  might  steal  them.  We  purchased  sweet 
corn,  beans,  meal,  and  various  other  trifles,  for  which 
we  paid  in  ammunition,  beads,  and  tobacco.  Having 
bought  all  we  required,  which  was  three  horse-loads, 
we  were  plagued  by  the  women  and  girls,  who  continued 
to  bring  bags  and  dishes  full  of  different  kinds  of  prod- 
uce, and  insisted  upon  trading.  It  was  some  time  before 
we  could  persuade  them  that  we  had  already  purchased 
more  than  we  had  horses  to  carry.  They  then  offered  to 
sell  us  some  common  pack-horses,  and  also  buffalo  robes  in 


J.   B.    LAFRANCE— LEWIS  AND  CI.AKK. 


m 


great  numbers ;  but  our  trifling  equipments  would  not 
admit  of  such  purchases. 

About  this  time  Jean  Kaptiste  La  France"  made  his 
appearance.  This  man  had  left  [Brandon  House,  on] 
Rivifcre  la  Souris  in  May  last,  equipped  by  the  H.  B.  Co. 
with  a  small  assortment  for  trading.  He  resides  on  the  S. 
side,  at  the  great  Mandanc  village,  and  hearing  of  our  arrival, 
came  over  to  us.  He  informed  Black  Cat,  our  kind  host, 
who  his  guests  were,  and  told  him  that  our  visit  was  from 
mere  curiosity.  The  chief  instantly  retired  to  his  family 
hut,  and  brought  out  his  flag,  which  was  soon  flying  over 
the  hut  in  which  we  were  accommodated.  This  flag  was 
given  to  him  in  1804-05  [1.  «•.,  Oct.  29th,  1804]  by  Captains 
Lewis  and  Clark,  who  also  gave  him  a  silver  medal ;  the 
same  articles  were  also  given  to  the  principal  chiefs  of  the 
other  villages,  and  several  very  useful  utensils  were  left 
among  them.  I  saw  the  remains  of  an  excellent  large  corn 
mill  [L.  and  C,  p.  182J,  which  the  foolish  fellows  had  de- 
molished to  barb  their  arrows  ;  the  largest  piece  of  it,  which 
they  could  not  break  or  work  up  into  any  weapon,  was  fixed 
to  a  wooden  handle,  and  used  to  pound  marrow-bones  to 
make  grease. 

As  we  desired  to  cross  the  river,  we  sent  La  France  to 
engage  people  of  the  opposite  village  **  to  come  over  for  us. 
It  would  have  been  in  vain  for  us  to  attempt  to  prevail  upon 
anyone  in  this  village  to  ferry  us  over ;  for,  as  long  as  a 
stranger  has  any  property,  they  wish  him  to  trade  all  he 
brings  in  the  first  village  he  enters,  every  village  being 
ambitious  of  getting  as  many  European  articles  as  they  can, 

**See  L.  and  C,  pp.  203,  313,  and  eip.  1179,  where  I  cite  this  passage  from 
the  Henry  MS.  literally. 

"Theyfrj/  of  the  two  Mandan  and  of  the  whole  five  villages  of  L.  and  C, 
on  the  S.  side  of  the  Missouri ;  "  the  lower  village  of  the  Mandans,  called 
Matootonha,"  p.  i8a  This  was  about  4  m,  below  the  mouth  of  Knife  r.,  and 
distant  about  3  m.  dia^  nally  across  the  Missouri  from  the  other  Mandan  village 
of  Rooptahee.  It  was  the  village  of  Shahaka,  Gros  Blanc,  or  Big  White,  a  prin- 
cipal chief,  and  of  Kagohomi  or  Little  Raven.  In  this  locality  is  now  a  place 
called  Deapolis. 


!l 


ffi-i 


i 


330 


VARIOUS  ETHICAL  PARTICULARS. 


particularly  arms  and  ammunition.  This  is  good  policy ; 
for,  notwithstanding  they  are  so  near  each  other,  and  live 
in  amity,  they  are  not  free  from  jealousy,  and  have  often  had 
serious  misunderstandings,  sometimes  ending  in  the  death 
of  an  individual,  and  nearly  occasioning  civil  war.  They 
have  also  to  guard  against  their  natural  enemies,  the  Sioux, 
who  are  at  no  great  distance.  The  Pawnees  also,  with 
whom  the  Mandanes  formerly  lived  in  the  same  villages, 
are  now  their  most  inveterate  enemies.  Arms  and  ammu- 
nition are,  therefore,  necessary  articles,  and  everyone  has  a 
stock  of  ball  and  powder  laid  up  in  case  of  emergency. 

We  packed  up  our  purchases,  and  gave  them  into  the 
care  of  the  landlord.  These  people  are  much  given  to 
thieving,  but  in  the  hut  in  which  a  stranger  is  lodged,  his 
property  may  be  left  in  perfect  security  ;  none  dare  touch 
it,  as  the  master  conceives  his  honor  concerned  in  whatever 
is  placed  under  his  immediate  protection.  Out  of  doors,  if 
they  can  pick  your  pocket,  or  pilfer  any  article,  it  is  gone 
in  an  instant,  and  search  would  be  in  vain ;  everyone  would 
wish  to  appear  innocent,  although  they  are  not  offended 
when  accused  of  stealing,  but  laugh  the  matter  away.  We 
were  informed  that  eight  canoes  were  waiting  for  us  on 
the  opposite  side,  and  the  same  number  of  young  men  had 
come  over  to  assist  in  crossing  our  horses.  We  paid  our 
landlord  for  board  ?.nd  lodging,  as  well  as  for  the  care  of 
our  horses,  and  of  the  articles  left  under  his  charge,  as 
we  never  expect  the  least  favor  from  any  of  these  fellows 
without  recompensing  them  accordingly.  He  appeared » 
very  well  pleased  with  the  following  articles,  which  we  gave 
him :  60  rounds  of  ammunition,  4  large  knives,  2  awls,  i 
fathom  of  tobacco,  i  steel,  5  flints,  i  dozen  hawk-bills,  2 
worms  [wormers  for  guns],  and  .1  dozen  brass  rings.  On 
going  down  to  the  water-side,  we  found  the  chief  of  the 
great  Mandane  village,  Le  Gros  Blanc."     It  was  this  man 

"  For  this  chief,  otherwise  Shahaka  and  Big  White,  see  L.  and  C,  pp. 
xxxix,  ciii,  i8a,  185,  192,  209,  236,  242,  247,  566,  1184-5-6,  iigi,  1212  ;  also, 
my  paper  in  Annals  of  Iowa,  3d  ser.,  I.,  No.  8,  Jan.,  1895,  pp.  613-20. 


S,  2 

On 

the 

■man 


BULL-BOAT  FERRY  TO  BIG  WHITE'S  VILLAGE.        33 1 

who  accompanied  Lewis  and  Clark  the  ensuing  autumn  to 
Washington.  He  was  waiting  with  his  own  canoe  to  ferry 
over  Mr.  Chaboillez  and  me,  and  very  attentive  and  polite 
in  conveying  our  baggage  on  board.  We  saw  another 
American  flag  flying  in  the  village  on  the  S.  side,  whilst 
that  of  the  Black  Cat  was  still  displayed  over  the  hut  we 
had  occupied.  Our  conductor  informed  us  that  the  flag  we 
saw  in  the  opposite  village  was  his  property,  and  had  been 
hoisted  by  his  orders  over  his  own  hut,  where  he  begged 
we  would  take  up  our  lodging. 

The  young  men  were  very  expert  in  getting  our  horses 
over.  They  fastened  a  line  to  the  horse's  mouth,  the  end 
of  which  one  of  them  took  in  his  teeth,  and  swam  ahead, 
whilst  others  swam  on  each  side  and  in  the  rear,  driving  the 
horse  very  expeditiously.  Though  the  Mlssourie  at  this 
place  is  half  a  mile  wide,  and  the  current  very  strong,  they 
drifted  down  but  little  before  landing.  Their  canoes  [/.  e., 
"  bull-boats "]  are  of  singular  construction ;  a  stranger 
would  scarcely  dare  to  cross  such  a  deep  and  rapid  stream 
in  them.  They  are  of  circular  form  ;  the  timbers  are  only 
a  few  bent  willows,  about  three  inches  in  circumference, 
over  which  is  stretched  a  raw  buiTalo  hide  with  the  hair 
inside,  sewed  fast  to  the  gunnel ;  this  is  generally  of  willow, 
about  two  inches  in  diameter.  I  was  surprised  to  see  the 
great  weight  these  tender  vessels  carried.  We  embarked 
baggage,  saddles,  etc.,  weighing  at  least  200  pounds,  with 
Mr.  Chaboillez,  myself,  and  our  ferryman,  who  was  a  stout, 
lusty  fellow,  and  our  canoe  or  dish  could  have  supported  at 
least  100  pounds  more.  In  lieu  of  a  paddle  they  use  a  pole 
about  five  feet  long,  split  at  one  end,  to  admit  a  piece  of 
board  about  two  feet  long  and  half  a  foot  broad,  which  is 
lashed  to  the  pole  and  forms  a  kind  of  cross  ;  there  is  but 
one  for  each  canoe.  He  who  paddles  makes  directly  for 
the  opposite  shore ;  everj^  stroke  he  gives  turns  his  dish 
almost  entirely  round  ;  to  recover  his  position  and  go  en 
his  intended  route,  he  must  give  a  stroke  on  the  other 
hand,  which  brings  him  up  again,  and  so  on  until  he  gets 


: 


y'frotiiM^*^  .rfM>:« 


332 


RKCEPTION  BY  BIG   MAN   AND  HAIRY   HORN. 


over,  not  without  drifting  down  sometimes  neai^y  a  mile. 
Some,  I  observed,  were  more  expert  than  others  in  manag- 
ing their  dishes,  and  did  not  drift  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
mile.  As  their  vessels  are  very  light,  they  take  the  pre- 
caution to  carry  them  on  their  heads,  or  slung  on  their 
backs,  to  a  considerable  distance  higher  up  the  river  than 
where  they  intend  to  land.  Whilst  we  were  on  the  water 
our  conductor  repeatedly  made  signs  to  us  to  salute  the  flag 
by  firing  our  guns  ;  but  we  did  not  think  proper  to  comply 
with  his  wishes,  and  pretended  we  did  not  comprehend  him. 
We  soon  landed  opposite  the  village,  which  is  situated 
on  the  very  edge  of  the  S.  bank.  Here  we  were  received 
by  another  chief,  called  Le  Grand,**  who  insisted  upon  our 
taking  lodgings  in  his  hut.  We  accordingly  entered  it,  but 
were  soon  visited  by  several  other  principal  men,  who 
requested  some  of  us  to  abide  in  their  huts.  La  France 
advised  us  to  do  so,  telling  us  we  would  be  more  at  our 
ease  than  if  we  all  remained  in  the  same  hut,  and  that  in 
every  respect  we  should  fare  better.  Accordingly,  Mr. 
Chaboillez  and  his  people,  who  consisted  of  the  Saulteur 
lad  (Mr.  C.'s  brother-in-law),  and  Mr.  Allen  McDonnell 
[McDonald],  took  up  their  lodgings  with  Hairy  Horn ; 
while  our  guide,  MacReacan,"  Straight  Horn,  myself, 
and  my  people,  V.  and  D.,  remained  with  Le  Grand,  who 
appeared  to  be  a  very  civil  fellow.  This  arrangement  hav- 
ing been  made,  we  were  soon  provided  with  beds,  and  buf- 
falo hides  to  sit  upon.  My  host  was  so  obliging  as  to  give 
up  to  me  one  of  his  own  best  beds,  well  surrounded  with 
dressed  leather.  We  had  a  plentiful  supply  of  corn  and 
beans,  and  were  soon  invited  to  several  huts,  where  we 

•'  "  Ohheenaw  or  Big  Man,  a  Chayenne  taker  prisoner  by  the  Mandans,  who 
adopted  him  ;  he  now  enjoys  first  consideration  among  the  tribe,"  L.  and  C,  p. 
183;  otherwise  Oheenaw  and  Ohhaw:  see  also  pp.  184,  185,  205,236,  241. 

"  Sic — meaning  Hugh  McCracken,  who  has  been  already  noted  in  this 
chapter,  p.  301 ;  see  also  L.  and  C,  p.  1184,  where  the  present  passage  is 
quoted  verbatim,  and  pp.  178,  187,  where  Lewis  and  Clark  speak  of  this  man, 
whom  they  call  Mr.  M'Cracken  and  Hugh  M'Crachen.  "V.  and  D."  are 
Vaudry  and  Ducharme  ;  compare  the  party  of  seven  named  on  p.  304. 


RENfi  JUSSOMME— PAWNEE  EMBASSY. 


333 


who 

C,  p. 

241. 

this 

ge  is 

man, 

'•  are 


were  treated  with  a  very  palatable  dish  of  pounded  peas 
and  parched  corn  ;  but  it  is  customary  for  invited  guests, 
on  leaving,  to  present  the  master  of  the  hut  with  a  few 
inches  of  tobacco,  for  which  he  always  appears  very  thank- 
ful. We  paid  a  visit  to  Gros  Blanc,  whom  we  had  slighted 
in  not  taking  up  our  residence  in  his  hut,  and  who  kept  the 
flag  flying  in  honor  of  our  arrival  until  sunset.  However, 
we  made  him  ample  amends,  and  presented  him  with  some 
tobacco,  ammunition,  etc.,  as  a  r^.muneration  for  assisting 
us  over.  He  appeared  highly  pleased  with  the  presents, 
but  said  he  would  have  been  very  happy  to  have  accommo- 
dated at  least  some  of  our  party. 

We  found  in  this  village  a  Canadian  named  [Ren^]  Jus- 
saume,"  who  accompanied  Captains  Clark  and  Lewis  the 
ensuing  autumn  to  Washington  on  their  return  from  their 
voyage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  as  interpreter  for  the  Mandane 
chief,  Gros  Blanc.  This  man  has  resided  among  the  In- 
dians for  upward  of  1 5  years,  speaks  their  language  toler- 
ably well,  and  has  a  wife  and  family  who  dress  and  live  like 
the  natives.  He  retains  the  outward  appearance  of  a  Chris- 
tian, but  his  principles,  as  far  as  I  could  observe,  are  much 
worse  than  those  of  a  Mandane ;  he  is  possessed  of  every 
superstition  natural  to  those  people,  nor  is  he  different  in 
everj'  mean,  dirty  trick  they  have  acquired  from  intercourse 
with  the  set  of  scoundrels  who  visit  these  parts — some  to 
trade  and  others  to  screen  themselves  from  justice,  as  the 
laws  of  their  own  country  would  not  fail  to  punish  them  for 
their  nunnerous  offenses. 

Soon  alter  our  arrival  a  great  uproar  was  occasioned  by 
the  unexpected  visit  of  six  Pawnees  from  their  own  village, 
about  60  leagues  below  on  the  same  river.  They  had  been 
sent  on  an  embassy  to  treat  for  peace.  It  appears  that  last 
'-pring  some  of  these  people  accompanied  a  war  party  of 
Sioux"  who    came    here   and   killed   five  Mandanes;   the 

**  Of  whom  much  is  said  in  L.   and  C,  as  on  pp.   i8o,  i8i,   189,  232,  I178, 
1 1 84,  which  see. 
"Compare  the  Sioux  raid  noted  by  L.  and  C,  Nov.  30th,  1605,  at  p.  204. 


'« 


& 


I  ' 


'         !, 


li' 


I! 


334 


A  PAGE  OF  LOCAL  HISTORY. 


latter,  in  co.Tipany  with  the  Big  Bellies,  soon  returned  the 
visit ;  and  not  finding  the  Sioux,  on  their  return  killed  two 
Pawnees.  But  as  this  did  not  satisfy  them,  they  informed 
the  Pawnees  that  they  might  expect  a  more  formal  visit  the 
ensuing  fall ;  that  both  Mandanes  and  Big  Bellies  were  de- 
termined to  exterminate  every  Pawnee  they  could  find,  and 
lay  their  villages  even  with  the  ground.  To  avoid  this 
storm,  the  latter  had  thought  prudent  to  thus  sue  for 
peace  before  it  was  too  late. 

A  messenger  was  instantly  dispatched  to  the  upper  vil- 
lages to  give  information  of  the  Pawnees'  arrival.  In  the 
meantime  the  strangers  were  hospitably  entertained,  con- 
ducted into  a  hut,  and  presented  with  corn,  beans,  and 
dried  meat.  All  were  then  silent  for  some  time,  awaiting 
the  determination  of  the  Big  Bellies. 

Not  many  years  ago  the  Pawnees  **  and  Mandanes  were 
allied  to  each  other  and  lived  together  in  the  same  villages, 
on  the  Missourie,  about  30  leagues  below  this  place.  A  mis- 
understanding happening,  they  separated ;  the  Pawnees 
retired  down  the  river  and  built  their  village  where  it  now 
stands,  and  the  Mandanes  proceeded  with  an  intention  of 
settling  themselves  somewhere  about  the  confluence  of  the 
Little  Missourie,  or  on  the  upper  part  of  Riviere  la  Souris. 
But  on  their  arrival  at  this  place  the  Big  Bellies  barred  the 
road  and  put  a  stop  to  their  westward  progress,  telling  them 
that  they  would  not  permit  anyone  to  build  higher  up  the 
river  than  themselves,  and  desiring  the  Mandanes  to  build 
where  they  are  at  present.  The  latter  were  not  much 
inclined  to  comply  with  those  proposals  ;  but,  dreading  the 
displeasure  of  the  others,  who  were  more  numerous  th^n 
than  they  are  at  present, — composing  then  a  village  of  goo 
huts, — were  obliged  to  accept  the  terms.  Since  that  period 
the  Pdv/nees  and  Mandanes  have  frequently  been  at  war, 
and  as  often  made  peace  again.  The  former  are  a  station- 
ary people,  like  the  Mandanes,  and  cultivate  the  ground  in 

"  In  regard  to  this  relation  of  the   Pawnees,  see  L.   and  C,   pp.  54,  55,  56, 
57,  98,  144. 


GESTURE  SPEECH— DIPLOMATIC   ULTIMATUM. 


335 


the  same  manner ;  they  are  represented  as  treacherous  and 
deceitful,  taking  every  advantage  of  their  neighbors,  favor< 
ing-  the  Sioux  when  they  come  to  war  this  way,  and  fre- 
quently mixing  with  them  to  annoy  the  Mandanes  and  Big 
Bellies,  as  was  the  case  last  spring,  when  they  were  supposed 
to  be  at  peace.  Their  language  is  entirely  different  from 
that  of  the  natives  of  this  place,  and  it  is  mainly  by  signs 
that  ihey  communicate  with  each  other,  though  there  are  a 
few  of  each  who  understand  the  other's  language.  Sign- 
language  serves  as  interpreter  in  every  affair  of  importance. 
It  is  surprising  how  dexterous  all  these  natives  of  the  plains 
are  in  communicating  their  ideas  by  signs.  The)  hold  con- 
ferences for  several  hours,  upon  different  subjects,  during 
the  whole  of  which  time  not  a  single  word  is  pronounced 
upon  either  side,  and  still  they  appear  to  comprehend  each 
other  perfectly  well.  This  mode  of  communication  is  nat- 
ural to  them ;  their  gestures  are  made  with  the  greatest 
ease,  and  they  never  seem  to  be  at  a  loss  for  a  sign  to 
express  their  meaning. 

About  30  Big  Bellies  soon  arrived  on  horseback,  at  full 
speed ;  they  brought  an  interpreter  with  them.  This  party 
consisted  of  some  of  the  principal  war  chiefs,  and  other 
great  men,  who  did  not  appear  well  pleased,  but  looked  on 
the  Pawnees  with  disdain.  After  some  private  consultation 
they  desired  the  Pawnees  to  return  immediately  to  their 
own  villages  and  to  inform  their  great  war  chief.  Red  Tail, 
that  if  he  sincerely  wished  for  peace  he  must  come  in  per- 
son, and  then  they  would  settle  matters,  as  tney  were  deter- 
mined to  have  nothing  to  do  with  a  private  party  of  young 
men.  They  had  been  so  repeatedly  deceived  by  different 
messages  that  for  the  future  they  would  be  more  upon  their 
guard  against  such  treacherous  neighbors.  They  allowed 
the  Pawnees  two  moons  to  consider  the  business  and  per 
form  the  journey ;  if  then  their  chief  did  not  make  hi 
appearance,  they  would  immediately  gather  their  corn,  go  '  i 
a  body  to  find  him  out  in  his  own  village,  and  convince  h  m 
what  Big  Bellies — or,  as  they  call  themselves.  Willow  In- 


i,l^ 


336 


RETURN  OK  MANUAN  HUNTERS. 


;«;, 


dians — and  Mandanes  could  do  when  exasperated  by  Pawnee 
treachery.  The  six  emissaries  promised  to  depart  early 
next  morning  to  inform  their  chief  accordingly,  who,  they 
made  no  doubt,  would  soon  wait  upon  the  Big  Bellies ;  for 
the  messengers  were  convinced  of  his  desire  for  peace. 

Thus  ended  an  affair  which  at  first  we  had  supposed  would 
conclude  with  the  death  of  the  strangers,  judging  by  the 
great  bustle  and  noise  their  arrival  occasioned.  But  I  was 
afterward  informed  that  there  was  not  the  least  danger  of 
such  proceedings ;  that  the  natives  of  this  place  make  it  a 
particular  point  of  honor  to  protect  every  stranger  who 
throws  himself  upon  their  clemency.  Even  their  natural 
and  most  inveterate  enemies,  the  Sioux,  have  come  into 
their  villages  unexpectedly  upon  embassies  concerning 
peace,  and  been  always  hospitably  entertained,  though 
never  permitted  to  stay  more  than  one  night. 

Toward  evening  there  was  a  whooping  and  howling  among 
the  young  men,  who  were  standing  upon  their  huts.  This 
was  to  announce  a  hunting  party  of  Mandanes,  who  at 
that  moment  appeared  on  the  high  banks  to  the  S.,  descend- 
ing  by  a  well-beaten  road  to  the  village.  The  party  con- 
sisted of  loo  mounted  men,  each  loaded  with  about  half  a 
buffalo  ;  but  som  .  had  more  than  others,  according  to  the 
strength  of  the  horse,  which  the  owner  always  rides,  how- 
ever heavily  his  beast  be  leaded.  They  went  away  yes- 
terday, and  found  buffalo  in  great  abundance  near  at  hand. 
These  people  always  hunt  in  large  parties,  as  the  continual 
danger  from  their  n  :..nerous  enemies  obliges  them  to  be 
very  cautious  in  lea^.ng  the  villages.  Another  reason  is, 
that  they  are  anxious  to  prevent  the  buffalo  from  being 
driven  away.  For  this  purpose  it  is  customary  for  them 
all  in  a  body  to  surround  one  herd  only,  which  sometimes 
consists  of  several  hundreds.  Not  one  of  the  whole  herd 
do  they  fillow  to  escape  ;  large  and  small,  fat  and  lean, 
all  must  fall,  to  prevent  alarming  other  herds.  This  man- 
ner of  hunting  answers  another  good  purpose,  which  is 
that  bad  and  dull  horsemen  get  equal   share  with  the  best 


VENATORIAL   COMMUNISM. 


337 


racers.  They  never  use  firearms  for  bufTalo  ;  the  bow  and 
arrow  is  the  only  weapon  for  that  purpose.  When  a  hunt- 
ing excursion  is  agitated  among  the  Mandancs,  they  inform 
their  neighbors  on  the  N.  shore  and  the  Saulteurs  [Sou- 
liers] ;  but  the  Big  Bellies  have  their  own  parties,  and 
seldom  interfere  with  the  others ;  the  one  goes  to  the  S. 
E.  and  the  other  to  the  S.  W.  Knife  river  seems  to  be 
their  boundary  line.  On  the  day  fixed  for  their  departure, 
early  in  the  morning,  those  who  are  inclined  to  join  the 
party  assemble  on  the  rising  ground  in  the  rear  of  the 
village,  about  i}4  mile  S.  When  all  are  ready  they  pro- 
ceed in  one  body  to  find  buffalo,  and  seldom,  if  ever, 
return  light.  On  their  arrival  the  horses  are  instantly 
unloaded  and  the  meat  is  taken  into  their  huts,  where  it 
is  spread  out  upon  the  ground  and  exposed  for  some  time 
before  the  master  or  mistress  of  the  hut  makes  use  of 
it.  Soon  afterward  the  women  whose  husbands  or  sons 
have  not  been  hunting  enter  the  huts  of  those  who  have 
secured  meat ;  the  mistress  gives  them  a  share,  and  they 
walk  away  with  it.  It  often  happens  that  so  manv  of  her 
acquaintances  and  friends  thus  drop  in  that  not  a  aoathful 
remains  for  her  own  family.  When  this  is  the  case,  she  in 
turn  goes  to  the  liuts  of  friends  who  have  been  hunting, 
and  comes  away  with  a  load.  It  is  customary  for  them  to 
go  into  as  many  huts  as  they  think  proper,  and  bring 
away  more  or  less,  according  to  the  degree  of  intimacy 
that  exists  between  the  families,  particularly  among  the 
women ;  for  they  are  not  without  their  little  jealousies, 
domestic  broils,  and  tales  of  scandal,  like  those  of  civilized 
nations.  It  is  also  customary  for  the  old  men  and  old 
women  who  have  no  sons  nor  any  particular  friends  to 
assist  them,  on  the  first  news  of  the  hunters'  approach,  to 
crawl  a  mile  or  more  out  of  the  villages  and  sit  by  the 
wayside,  where  almost  every  hunter  in  passing  drops  them 
a  piece  of  meat.  By  these  means  every  indfvidual  gets  a 
share  of  what  has  been  killed. 

These  villages  at  a  distance  appear  like  a  cluster  of  mole- 


'    ^1 


338 


MANDAN  ARCHITECTURE. 


I 


'l    if 


IS       £1 


I 


hills  or  muskrat  cabins.  The  nearly  circular  huts  are 
placed  very  irregularly;  some  so  close  to  each  other  as 
scarcely  to  leave  a  foot-passage,  others  again  at  a  distance 
of  20  to  30  feet  apart.  But  about  the  center  of  each  vil- 
lage is  an  open  space  of  about  four  acres,  around  which 
the  huts  are  regularly  built  at  equal  distances,  fronting  the 
open  space.  This  circle  is  of  about  30  huts,  which  I  have 
no  doubt  were  the  first  erected  on  the  spot.  Friends,  who 
joined  them  afterward  for  various  causes,  erected  their  huts 
in  the  rear,  wherever  they  found  it  most  convenient.  This 
continues  to  be  the  case  ;  huts  are  continually  demolished 
in  o.ie  village  and  others  built  to  replace  them  in  another. 
This  often  proceeds  from  misunderstandings  the  people 
have  either  with  the  chiefs  of  the  village,  or  with  their 
own  neighbors ;  when,  finding  the  situation  unpleasant  and 
likely  to  lead  to  quarrels,  they  shift  their  quarters ;  but  they 
always  take  up  their  new  residence  among  their  own  tribe. 
The  Mandanes  and  Saulteurs  [Souliers]  are  a  stationary 
people,  who  never  leave  their  villages  except  to  go  hunting 
or  on  a  war  excursion.  They  are  much  more  agricultural 
than  their  neighbors,  the  Big  Bellies,  raising  an  immense 
quantity  of  corn,  beans,  squashes,  tobacco,  and  sunflowers. 
A  Mandane's  circular  hut  is  spacious.  I  measured  the  one 
I  lodged  in,  and  found  it  90  feet  from  the  door  to  the 
opposite  side.  The  whole  space  is  first  dug  out  about  i^ 
feet  below  t'l'  surface  of  the  earth.  In  the  center  is  the 
square  fireplace,  about  five  feet  on  each  side,  dug  out  about 
two  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ground  flat.  The  lower 
part  of  the  hut  is  constructed  by  erecting  strong  posts  about 
six  feet  out  of  the  ground,  at  equal  distances  from  each 
other,  according  to  the  proposed  size  of  the  hut,  as  they 
are  not  all  of  the  same  dimensions.  Upon  these  are  laid 
logs  as  large  as  the  posts,  reaching  from  post  to  post 
to  form  the  circle.  On  the  outer  side  are  placed  pieces 
of  split  wood  seven  feet  long,  in  a  slanting  direction,  one 
end  resting  on  the  ground,  the  other  leaning  against  the 
cross-logs  or  beams.     Upon  these  beams  rest  rafters  about 


MANDAN  ARCHITECTURE. 


339 


laid 
post 


the  thickness  of  a  man's  leg,  and  12  to  15  feet  long,  slant* 
ing  enough  to  drain  off  the  rain,  and  laid  so  close  to  each 
other  as  to  touch.  The  upper  ends  of  the  rafters  are  sup- 
ported  upon  stout  pieces  of  squared  timber,  which  last  are 
supported  by  ^our  thick  posts  about  five  feet  in  circumfer- 
ence, 15  feet  out  of  the  ground  and  15  feet  asunder,  form- 
ing a  square.  Over  these  squared  timbers  others  of  equal 
size  are  laid,  crossing  them  at  right  angles,  leaving  an  open- 
ing about  four  feet  square.  This  serves  for  chimney  and 
windows,  as  there  are  no  other  openings  to  admit  light, 
and  when  it  rains  even  this  hole  is  covered  over  with  a 
canoe  to  prevent  the  rain  from  injuring  their  gammine  [sic] 
and  earthen  pots.  The  whole  roof  is  well  thatched  with  the 
small  willows  in  which  the  Missourie  abounds,  laid  on  to 
the  thickness  of  six  inches  or  more,  fastened  ti  j^ether  in  a 
very  compact  manner  and  well  secured  to  the  rafters.  Over 
the  whole  is  spread  about  one  foot  of  earth,  and  around  the 
wall,  to  the  height  of  three  or  four  feet,  is  commonly  laid 
up  earth  to  the  thickness  of  three  feet,  for  security  in  case 
of  an  attack  and  to  keep  out  the  cold.  The  door  is  five  feet 
broad  and  six  high,  with  a  covered  way  or  porch  on  the 
outside  of  the  same  height  as  the  door,  seven  feet  broad 
and  ten  in  length.  The  doors  are  made  of  raw  buffalo  hide 
stretched  upon  a  frame  and  suspended  by  cords  from  one  of 
the  beams  which  form  the  circle.  Every  night  the  door  is 
barricaded  with  a  long  piece  of  timber  supported  by  two 
stout  posts  set  in  the  ground  in  the  inside  of  the  hut,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  door. 

On  entering  the  hut,  the  first  thing  that  strikes  the  view 
is  a  kind  of  triangular  apartment,  always  on  the  left  hand 
and  fronting  the  fire,  leaving  an  open  space  on  the  right ; 
this  is  to  hold  firewood  in  winter.  This  partition  is  con- 
structed of  square  planks  about  12  feet  high,  well  calked 
to  keep  off  the  air  from  the  door.  Between  this  partition 
and  the  fire  is  commonly  a  distance  of  about  five  feet,  which 
the  master  of  the  hut  occupies  during  the  day,  seated  on  a 
mat  made  of  small  willows  of  equal  size,  fastened  together 


1  i 


I 


V  t 


I'M 


340 


MANDAN   LARES  AND  PENATES. 


by  threads  of  tlieir  own  manufacture,  passed  through  each 
stick  about  a  foot  apart.  These  mats  are  about  ten  feet 
long  and  four  broad ;  the  two  ends  for  about  2>i  feet  are 
raised  slanting  from  the  ground,  supported  by  a  kind  of 
sofa.  Over  the  mat  is  spread  a  kind  of  buffalo  skin.  Some 
of  these  couches  arc  raised  a  foot  off  the  ground. 

Upon  this  a  Mandane  sits  all  day,  receives  his  friends, 
smokes,  and  chats  the  time  away  with  the  greatest  dignity; 
he  sometimes  passes  the  night  there  also,  when  not  inclined 
to  lie  with  any  of  his  wives.  On  the  left  side  of  the  host 
begins  their  range  of  beds.  The  master  and  his  favorite 
wife  always  occupy  the  first  bed,  and  his  other  wives  each  a 
separate  one  in  succession  ;  next  to  them  come  the  young 
people.  All  are  constructed  in  the  same  manner,  and 
adjoin  each  other  lengthways.  At  the  bottom  of  the  hut, 
fronting  the  master's  seat,  stands  his  medicine-stage,  which 
may  be  called  his  chief  treasure,  as  it  contains  everything 
he  values  most.  The  article  of  most  consequence  is  a  pair 
of  bull's  heads,  which  seem  to  be  a  great  Manitou  and 
protection ;  they  are  well  daubed  over  with  earth,  and  par- 
ticular care  is  taken  of  them.  There  are  also  laid,  or  rather 
hung  up,  his  arms,  shield,  ammunition,  scalps,  and  every- 
thing else  he  most  values.  Next  this  stage  stand  the 
mortar  and  pestle,  fixed  firmly  in  the  ground.  The  rest  of 
the  hut,  from  this  place  to  the  door,*is  vacant  during  the 
the  day,  but  occupied  at  night  by  the  horses.  There  still 
remains  a  large  clear  space  in  the  center,  round  about  the 
fire,  for  the  use  of  the  family ;  this  is  generally  swept  once  a 
day.  Seldom  more  than  one  family  occupies  the  same  hut. 
Fronting  the  porch  stands  a  stage  about  eight  feet  high, 
20  feet  long  and  10  feet  broad,  for  the  purpose  of  hanging 
up  corn  to  dry  in  the  fall,  and  to  dry  meat.  These  stages 
have  a  tolerably  good  flooring,  which  in  the  fall  is  covered 
with  beans  to  dry  ;  and  posts  are  erected  upon  them,  on  the 
tops  of  which  are  laid  poles  or  rafters,  to  which  corn  and 
sliced  squashes  are  suspended  in  tresses  to  dry.  When  the 
harvest  is  over  this  certainly  must  have  a  very  pretty  effect, 


THOSE  ••  WELSH  "  INDIANS  :  SEE  L.  AND  C,  P.  I  59        34I 


ce  a 
hut. 

;>ng 

iges 
jred 

the 
and 

the 
feet, 


and  give  quite  an  appearance  of  agriculture ;  but  at  this 
season  they  are  lumbered  up  with  driftwood,  for  fuel,  thus 
giving  a  very  ugly  appearance  to  the  village. 

This  fuel  they  collect  in  the  spring,  when  the  ice  breaks 
up,  and  when  great  quantities  of  wood  drift  down.  The 
natives  being  expert  swimmers  and  very  active  in  managing 
the  large  trees,  scarcely  one  escapes  them  until  they  have  a 
sufficient  stock  for  the  year ;  although  the  drifting  of  the 
ice  at  the  same  time  would  make  such  attempts  appear 
impracticable  to  most  people.  I  observed  opposite  each 
village  an  immense  pile  of  this  wood,  including  some  trees 
of  amazing  size.  When  they  collect  the  drift-wood,  great 
numbers  of  drowned  buffalo,  that  have  perished  in  attempt- 
ing to  cross  above  when  the  ice  was  getting  bad,  float  down  ; 
those  animals  the  natives  are  very  careful  to  haul  on  shore, 
as  they  prefer  such  flesh  to  that  killed  in  any  other  way. 

What  struck  me  as  extraordinary  among  these  people 
was  several  children  about  ten  years  of  age,  whose  hair  was 
perfectly  gray,  and  who  thus  resembled  aged  persons ;  those 
I  saw  were  all  girls.  These  people  in  general  have  not 
such  strong  coarse  hair  as  other  natives  of  North  America  ; 
they  have  it  much  finer,  rather  inclining  to  a  dark  brown, 
and  I  observed  some  whose  hair  was  almost  fair.  I  saw 
one  Big  Belly  with  yellow  hair;  which  I  believe  could 
scarcely  proceed  from  any  connection  with  the  whites  from 
our  quarter,  as  it  is  not  more  than  30  years  since  they  first 
saw  any  of  us,  and  this  man  was  at  least  40  years  old."  Their 
eyes  are  not  of  that  jet  black  which  is  common  to  other 
Indians,  but,  like  their  hair,  inclined  to  a  dark  brown ;  some 
few  are  dark  gray.  They  are  in  general  tall,  stout,  well- 
built  men.  The  men  wear  their  hair  long,  twisted  into 
small  quaittes,"  hanging  down  to  the  rump ;  some  of  them 

*''  Henry  may  be  correct  in  thus  stating  the  time  when  the  Indians  first 
knew  British  traders  ;  but  they  had  been  acquainted  with  the  French  from  the 
date  of  Verendrye's  visit,  in  December,  1738,  about  68  years  before  1806.      t 

••  The  meaning  of  queues,  tresses,  or  strands  is  clear,  but  I  am  not  sure  of 
the  word  ;  perhaps  it  should  be  quoifes  (for  coifs  or  coiffures). 


> 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


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TARIFF  OF  SEXUAL  AND  OTHER  SERVICE. 


have  it  of  enormous  length,  trailing  upon  the  ground  ;  they 
seldom  tie  it,  but  allow  the  numerous  small  quaittes  to  flow 
in  a  more  graceful  manner  upon  their  backs ;  they  always 
daub  it  with  white  and  red  earth.  The  women  wear  their 
hair  short,  allowing  it  to  grow  no  longer  than  to  cover  the 
ears  and  neck.  They  never  tie  it,  nor  make  use  of  any 
ornament  for  the  head,  except  sometimes  daubing  it  with 
red  earth.  They  seem  to  be  a  very  lascivious  set  of  peo- 
ple. The  men  make  no  scruple  in  offering  their  wives  to 
strangers  without  solicitation,  and  are  offended  if  their 
favors  are  not  accepted,  unless  convinced  that  there  is  some 
good  reason  for  your  refusal,  and  that  it  is  not  out  of  con- 
tempt. They  expect  payment  for  their  complaisance,  but 
a  mere  trifle  will  satisfy  them — even  one  single  coat  button. 
Notwithstanding  this  courteous  behavior  to  strangers,  they 
are  not  entirely  free  from  jealousies  among  themselves, 
which  sometimes  cause  quarrels  and  even  bl  lodshed.  The 
woman  is  generally  sacrificed  in  an  affair  of  this  nature. 

We  paid  the  young  men  for  taking  our  horses  across  the 
river,  and  the  women  for  assisting  us  with  the  canoes. 
The  total  cost  was :  i  fathom  of  tobacco,  4  knives,  6  flints, 
6  awls,  6  worms,  and  10  balls.  I  also  paid  my  landlord  for 
the  time  we  might  remain  here,  which  I  supposed  would  be 
about  ten  days  for  three  persons,  including  board  and 
lodging,  stabling  for  our  horses,  and  care  of  our  property. 
They  make  no  price,  leaving  that  to  the  generosity  of 
guests,  and  should  the  payment  be  too  little  they  still 
appear  to  accept  it  with  gratitude  ;  but  the  visitor  is  after- 
ward left  to  take  care  of  his  own  property  and  horses  in 
the  best  manner  he  can.  It  is  impossible  to  get  the  most 
trifling  service  from  the  natives  without  immediate  pay- 
ment ;  not  even  an  inch  of  cord  will  they  part  with  with- 
out receiving  something  in  return.  It  is  true  a  trifle  will 
please  them,  and  they  are  willing  and  ready  to  serve  you  as 
long  as  you  have  any  property.  But  when  all  is  expended 
you  may  shift  for  yourself,  as  they  will  pretend  they  do 
not  understand  you  any  longer.    Besides  paying  our  host 


ROASTING— COUGHING— HOEING. 


343 


beforehand,  I  proir'sed  him  a  tobacco-pipe  on  my  depar- 
ture, if  I  were  then  pleased  with  his  conduct  during  our 
stay.  His  pay  consisted  of  the  following  articles :  60  balls 
and  powder,  4  large  knives,  2  small  knives,  i  fathom 
tobacco,  I  dozen  rings,  i  dozen  hawk-bills,  6  flints,  3 
worms,  3  awls,  and  ^  pound  blue  beads. 

They  have  a  peculiar  way  of  roasting  meat.  A  placotte 
is  suspended  by  a  cord  from  the  roof  of  the  hut  exactly 
over  the  fire ;  the  cord  being  passed  through,  and  fastened 
to  the  center  of  the  piece,  keeps  it  in  a  flat  position  directly 
over  the  flames  ;  a  person  is  seated  near  it,  and  with  a  small 
stick  keeps  it  continually  in  motion  by  pushing  it  to  and 
fro ;  when  one  side  is  done  it  is  turned  over  and  fit  for  use. 
This  method  is  much  more  expeditious  than  roasting  flesh 
before  the  Are,  and  by  far  preferable,  as  it  retains  all  the 
natural  juice  and  flavor. 

The  natives  at  present  are  mostly  affected  with  a  bad 
cough,  which  daily  takes  some  of  them  off.  Aged  and 
infirm  persons,  and  young  children,  are  the  common  victims 
to  this  disease.  It  is  a  kind  of  whooping-cough,  which  has 
appeared  all  along  the  Red  and  Assiniboine  rivers,  on  the 
Saskatchewan  even  to  Fort  des  Prairies,  and  in  several 
other  parts  of  the  North  West,  carrying  off  many  people. 

July  2ist.  I  set  off  early  on  horseback  with  part  of 
my  people  for  the  upper  villages.  We  passed  extensive 
fields  of  com,  beans,  squashes,  and  sunflowers.  Many 
women  and  children  were  already  employed  in  clearing 
and  hoeing  their  plantations.  Their  hoes  are  the  shoulder- 
blade  of  a  buffalo,  to  which  is  fastened  a  crooked  stick 
for  a  handle;  the  soil  not  being  stony,  this  slight  imple- 
ment answers  every  purpose.  The  road  first  led  over 
two  hills,  after  which  we  came  to  a  smooth  and  pleasant 
plain  for  about  two  miles  to  the  Saulteur  [Soulier]  village, 
of  about  40  huts. 

These  people  are  an  entirely  different  tribe  from  the  Big 
Bellies  and  Mandanes;  their  linguige  resembles  that  of 
the  latter  more  than  that  of  the  fr  rmer,  but  is  not  the 


344 


SOULIERS— LITTLE  BIG  BELLIES. 


»!l 


same.  Their  long  intercourse  with  those  people  has  tended 
to  this  similarity  of  language,  and  from  proximity  they  have 
acquired  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  other  nations, 
though  they  continue  to  live  by  themselves.  They  have  the 
reputation  of  a  brave  and  warlike  people.  They  formerly 
sustained  a  three-years'  war  with  the  Big  Bellies,  notwith- 
standing the  latter  were  then  ten  times  their  number.  They 
held  out  with  the  greatest  resolution  and  disdained  to  sub- 
mit till  the  others,  finding  it  impossible  to  reduce  them, 
unless  by  extermination,  proposed  to  make  peace.  Since 
then  they  have  lived  in  amity.  They  are  stationary,  like 
their  neighbors,  the  Mandanes,  with  whom  they  have 
always  been  at  peace,  and  have  acquired  more  of  their  cus- 
toms and  manners  than  those  of  the  Big  Bellies,  who  con- 
tinue to  view  them  with  an  envious  eye. 

We  stopped  here  only  a  short  time;  and  having  been 
invited  into  several  huts,  and  treated  with  what  they  had  to 
offer,  in  return  for  which  we  gave  them  a  pipe  of  tobacco, 
we  proceeded  on  a  delightful  hard,  dry  road.  The  soil 
being  a  mixture  of  sand  and  clay,  and  rain  being  infre- 
quent, the  heat  of  the  sun  makes  the  road  as  hard  as  pave- 
ment. Upon  each  side  were  pleasant  cultivated  spots, 
some  of  which  stretched  up  the  rising  ground  on  our  left, 
whilst  on  our  right  they  ran  nearly  to  the  Missouri.  In 
those  fields  were  many  women  and  children  at  work,  who 
all  appeared  industrious.  Upon  the  road  were  passing  and 
repassing  every  moment  natives,  afoot  and  on  horseback, 
curious  to  examine  and  stare  at  us.  Many  horses  were 
feeding  in  every  direction  beyond  the  plantation.  The 
whole  view  was  agreeable,  and  had  more  the  appearance  of 
a  country  inhabited  by  a  civilized  nation  than  by  a  set  of 
savages. 

We  came  to  the  little  village  of  Big  Bellies  or  Willow 
Indians,  situated  nearly  at  the  mouth  of  Knife  river,  which 
comes  from  the  S.  and  enters  into  the  Missourie,  about 
one  mile  from  the  Saulteur  [Soulier]  village.  Here  we 
found  a  sudden  and  great  change  in  the  manners  of  the 


GREAT  BIG  BELLIES  ON  KNIFE  RIVER. 


345 


people;  the  children  and  even  the  youths  collected  and 
followed  us  in  crowds,  laughing  and  making  sport  of  us,  to 
the  great  entertainment  of  the  men,  who  were  seated  upon 
their  huts  enjoying  the  cool  morning  air,  and  by  their  sig- 
nificant smiles  seemed  to  applaud  such  proceedings.  The 
dogs  also  assailed  us  from  every  quarter,  and  were  very 
troublesome.  We,  therefore,  made  no  stop  at  this  village, 
which  consists  of  about  60  huts,  but  pushed  through  the 
crowd  to  the  west  end,  where  the  road  leads  along  the  bank 
of  Knife  river,  here  about  50  yards  wide,  with  a  gentle  cur- 
rent. The  water  is  thick  and  muddy,  and  of  a  reddish 
color,  that  of  the  Missourie  being  much  lighter  or  paler. 
Here  the  road  is  again  very  pleasant,  running  through  an 
open  level  country,  with  corn-fields  in  sight,  in  which  were 
numbers  of  people  at  work ;  beyond  them  we  saw  several 
hundred  horses,  feeding  upon  the  hills  and  along  the  banks 
of  Knife  river.  We  came  about  one  mile  from  the  last 
village,  crossed  Knife  river,  having  the  water  up  to  our 
saddles,  with  a  fine  sandy  bottom  ;  and  3CX)  yards  further 
entered  the  great  village  of  the  Big  Bellies,  which  consists 
of  about  1 30  huts. 

Here  we  found  Messrs.  Charles  McKenzie  ^  and  James 

**  See  L.  and  C,  ed.  1893,  pp.  303,  326,  232,  1177.  Charles  McKenzie  it 
readily  distinguished  from  the  many  of  that  surname  in  the  fur  trade.  He 
entered  the  N.  W.  Co.  as  apprenticed  clerk  in  1803,  and  became  clerk  in  1804 
on  Upper  Red  r. ,  where  he  was  traveling  with  Harmon  in  October  of  that 
year.  His  first  visit  to  the  Mandans  was  in  1804,  when  he  made  one  of  the 
party  under  F.  A.  Larocque  (the  others  being  William  Morrison.  J.  B. 
Turenne,  Alexis  McKay,  and  Joseph  Azure) ;  he  left  there  April  3d,  1805,  and 
reached  Fort  Assiniboine  May  23d.  Again  he  made  the  ^me  trip  with  Mr. 
Larocque,  Mr.  Lafrance,  and  two  voyageurs,  leaving  Fort  Assiniboine  June 
3d,  and  leaving  the  Mandans  on  his  return  with  Lafrance  Aug.  15th.  He  went 
a  third  time  ia  February,  1806,  and  returned  to  Fort  Assiniboine  in  23  days. 
His  fourth  visit  began  June  4th,  1806,  when  he  left  Fort  Assiniboine  with  Mr. 
Caldwell  and  a  freeman.  See  his  The  Missouri  Indians.  A  Narrative  of  Four 
Trading  Expeditions  to  the  Mississouri,  1804-1805-1806,  in  Masson,  I.  1889, 
PP-  315-93—*  specially  valuable  article.  The  N.  W.  Co.  abandoned  the 
Missouri  trade  in  1807,  and  Mr.  McKenzie  was  stationed  for  some  years  about 
Lac  la  Pluie,  the  Nepigon,  etc.  He  joined  the  H.  B.  Co.  on  the  fusion  of 
1831,  and  continued  in  that  service  till  about  1846.     Though  he  never  liked  it, 


346       C.  M'KENZIE— C.  CHABOILLEZ,  JR.— LE  BORGNE. 

Caldwell,  who  had  left  Riviere  la  Souris  with  a  small 
assortment  of  goods  in  May  last  [June  4th,  1806] ;  both 
young  men  in  the  service  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  The  natives 
conducted  us  to  the  hut  in  which  they  resided,  which 
was  that  of  the  great  chief  of  the  village,  Le  Borgne  ;  **  he 

and  found  much  amiss,  he  accepted  the  situation  philosophically,  and  indulged 
his  taste  for  study.  On  retirement  he  settled  on  Red  r.,  and  died  in  March, 
1854,  leaving  three  daughters,  dead  since  1889  or  earlier,  and  a  son,  Hector, 
who  was  living  near  Winnipeg  in  1889.  His  Mandan  journal  has  much  merit, 
and  is  more  readable  than  such  things  generally  are ;  it  bears  with  special 
interest  ^n  Lewis  and  Clark,  from  the  British  point  of  view,  and  has  a  good 
deal  to  say  of  our  present  author,  whom  Mr.  McKenzie  accompanied  on  the 
trip  to  which  our  next  chapter  is  devoted.  He  describes  the  present  meeting 
with  Henry  in  these  terms  :  "I  heard  my  name  called  at  the  door  of  the  lodge 
by  a  voice  which  was  familiar,  and  enquiring  if  I  was  within.  I  hastened  to 
the  door,  dressed  as  I  was  in  the  Indian  costume,  and  was  much  surprised 
at  seeing  Mr.  Charles  Chaboillez,  [Jr.]  Mr.  Alexander  Henry,  and  Mr.  Allen 
Macdonel  [sic],  accompanied  by  three  men.  Their  first  salutation  was  a 
reproach  at  my  dress.  .  .  Messrs.  Chaboillez  and  He;iry  were  much  disap- 
pointed ;  they  had  promised  themselves  a  pleasant  voyage,  they  had  a  long 
disagreeable  one.  .  .  Their  appearance  was  not  to  their  credit,  nor  to  the 
interest  of  the  company.  It  was  most  galling  to  me,  who  understood  some 
y  of  the  Indian  language,  to  hear  them  despised  and  the  American  captains, 
whom  they  [Indians]  hated  till  then,  praised.  They  had  come  to  purchase 
horses,  but  found  none  to  their  taste.  .  .  Mr.  Henry  avowed  his  disappoint- 
ment and  did  not  disguise  his  detestation  of  the  Indians ;  he  was  displeased 
with  himself,  dissatisfied  with  his  '  equal '  [Chaboillez]  and  disgusted  with  hit 
inferiors.  .  .  Mr.  Henry  kept  at  a  distance  from  the  crowd  and  smoked  his 
pipe  alone."  This  snap-shot  of  the  McKenzie  kodak— so  to  speak — accounts 
for  the  vein  of  ill  humor  and  bad  taste  running  through  the  Henry  narrative  at 
present. 

Mr.  McKenzie's  name  of  the  Missouri  was  not  an  uncommon  one  in  those 
days,  and  is  perhaps  defensible  as  being  nearer  the  aboriginal  term ;  Sir  A. 
McKenzie,  Thompson,  and  others  use  similar  forms.  The  word  seems  to  have 
been  the  name  of  certain  Indians  before  it  was  applied  to  the  river :  for  the 
meaning,  see  L.and  C,  p.  23,  note  **.  Some  other  forms  of  the  tribal  term  are 
'lissouria,  Missourite,  and  Oumissourite.  This  last  is  found  on  Marquette's 
autograph  map  of  1673  as  8emess8rit ;  but  it  is  curious  to  note  that  exactly  our 
present  form  Missouri,  for  the  river,  appears  as  early  as  16S7  in  Joutel's  Nar- 
rative :  see  Margry's  Decouvertes,  III.  p.  433,  1879.  A  modem  Sioux  name 
is  given  as  Minishoshay  or  Meneshosha ;  a  Sac  name  is  Pekitanoui. 

C.  McKenzie's  name  for  the  Cheyennes  is  more  unusual — Shawyens. 

'"For this  celebrated  character,  see  L.  and C,  ed.  1893,  pp.  343  and  following, 
also  1177,  1179,  iiB3>  i<S6*  1193*     "  "^o  E>ve  the  devil  his  due  " — as  someone 


THE  BIG  BELLIES  CHARACTERIZED. 


347 


« 


was  then  on  a  visit  to  a  camp  of  Schians,  settling  the  pre- 
liminaries of  peace  with  that  nation,  who  are  tented  about 
two  days'  journey  S.  E.  from  here.  We  were  not  so  well 
received  at  this  village  as  at  the  Mandanes ;  no  attention 
was  shown  us,  after  conducting  us  to  the  hut  where  the 
white  people  lodged.  They  do  not  appear  to  be  of  such 
sociable  and  affable  disposition  as  their  neighbors ;  they 
are  proud  and  haughty,  and  think  there  is  no  race  upon 
earth  equal  to  themselves;  they  despise  other  nations. 
Were  it  not  that  they  must  have  traders  to  bring  them  the 
arms  and  ammunition  of  which  they  stand  in  such  great 
need,  being  surrounded  by  enemies,  a  white  man  would 
stand  a  poor  chance  for  his  life  and  property  among  this 
set  of  savages,  whose  sole  glory  is  in  bloodshed  and  devas- 
tation. But  they  are  obliged  to  be  civil,  and  this  policy  is 
inculcated  in  the  daily  harangues  made  by  the  old  princi- 
pals and  chiefs.  All  have  manly  and  warlike  countenances, 
and  are  remarkably  stout,  well-proportioned  men,  with  a 
similarity  of  physiognomy  among  themselves  not  to  be 
found  in  the  other  tribes  of  these  quarters.  The  common- 
est feature  is  a  large  aquiline  nose.  Their  dress  is  nearly 
the  same  as  the  Mandanes',  excepting  that  the  men  wear 
their  hair  somewhat  differently.  It  is  generally  of  great 
length,  sometimes  even  trailing  on  the  ground.  They 
divide  it,  and  plat  from  lo  to  25  tresses  about  one  inch 
broad ;  on  those  quaittes  they  stick  pieces  of  gum  three  or 
four  inches  square  and  an  inch  apart,  which  every  morning, 
after  washing  and  freshening,  they  carefully  daub  with  red 
or  white  clay,  always  painting  the  patches  of  gum  one 
color,  and  the  intervening  spaces  another.  This  decoration 
at  a  distance  has  nearly  the  same  effect  as  a  Saulteur  head 
covered  with  silver  brooches.  Their  hair  is  of  the  same 
bright  hue  as  that  of  their  neighbors. 

Upon  the  whole  they  appeared  to  me  to  be  a  fierce  and 
savage  set  of  scoundrels,  still  more  loose  and  licentious  than 

is  reported  to  have  said  in  cliaracterizing  John  Calvin — Le  Borgne  was  a 
great  man. 


348 


HYl'ERTROPHIED   LABIA   MINORA. 


the  Mandanes  ;  the  men  appeared  to  take  pride  in  display- 
ing their  nudities.  I  am  also  informed  that  they  are  much 
given  to  unnatural  lusts  and  often  prefer  a  young  man  to  a 
woman.  They  have  many  berdashes  amongst  them,  who 
make  it  their  business  to  satisfy  such  beastly  passions. 
The  men  are  always  ready  to  supply  a  stranger  with  a  bed- 
fellow, if  he  has  any  property.  They  are  very  complaisant 
in  giving  him  the  choice  of  their  women,  and  proud  when 
they  can  accommodate  him  with  one  who  is  provided  with 
a  good  swinging  pair  of  contrevents,  or  well  labiated.  I  am 
not  competent  to  determine  whether  this  extraordinary 
appendage  be  natural  or  otherwise.  I  am  informed  that  it 
is  produced  by  the  filthy  custom  of  the  ir  n  pulling  upon  it 
daily  while  the  girls  are  still  young,  and  continuing  to  do 
so  when  they  are  grown  to  maturity,  until  it  attains  the 
length  of  several  inches  on  each  side  of  the  orifice.  Some 
say  that  such  females  suspend  weights  to  the  parts  for 
that  purpose,  and  others  again  say  it  is  natural  to  some 
of  the  women.  That  some  of  the  women  have  such 
ornaments,  or  whatever  we  may  choose  to  call  them,  I 
can  affirm  from  ocular  demonstration.  These  people,  like 
their  neighbors,  have  the  custom  of  washing  morning  and 
evening,  and  then  wallowing  in  mud  or  clay,  which 
answers  the  purpose  of  soap. 

Formerly  this  village  consisted  of  900  huts,  but  the 
smallpox  and  other  diseases  have  reduced  them  to  their 
present  number.  They  have  been  settled  upon  this  spot 
time  out  of  mind.  They  are  not  so  fond  of  cultivating  the 
ground  as  their  neighbors ;  although  they  raise  an  immense 
quantity  of  corn,  etc.,  it  falls  far  short  of  what  is  gathered 
by  the  Mandanes.  They  differ  from  the  last  in  many 
points,  and  appear  to  be  of  a  more  roving  and  restless  dis- 
position. The  Big  Bellies'  huts  are  constructed  in  the 
same  manner  as  those  of  their  neighbors,  excepting  that 
the  ground  is  dug  out  about  four  feet  below  the  surface, 
which  makes  them  deeper  than  the  others.  They  do  not 
stable  the  horses  in  the  hut  with  themselves,  but  put  them 


FURTHER  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  BIG  BELLIES. 


349 


at  night  in  small  inclosures  under  the  stages  fronting  their 
huts.  Their  canoes  are  of  a  different  shape,  having  one 
end  square  and  the  other  round;  but  of  the  same  material 
and  construction,  and  usei^  in  the  same  manner,  the  ferry- 
man sitting  in  the  round  end  ;  but  they  seldom  have  occa- 
sion to  cross  the  river,  which  is  about  a  mile  distant  from 
their  village.  They  reside  here  only  during  the  summer. 
Early  in  the  fall,  when  cold  weather  begins,  they  decamp 
in  a  body  for  the  Snake's  Lodge,  where  they  take  up  their 
residence  for  the  winter  in  huts  of  the  .same  construction 
as  those  already  mentioned.  There  they  do  not  remain 
inactive ;  all,  excepting  the  old  people,  decamp  in  parties 
of  30  to  40  tents  on  long  excursions  to  the  W.  and  S.  W., 
sometimes  for  two  or  three  months,  during  which  time 
they  hunt  wolves,  foxes,  kitts,  and  buffaloes.  They  are 
well  provided  for  these  excursions,  every  family  having  a 
leather  tent,  many  horses,  and  a  vast  number  of  stout, 
strong  dogs.  Several  families  have  from  20  to  30  horses. 
This  custom  of  abandoning  their  summer  habitation  is 
less  a  ma^^er  of  choice  than  of  necessity ;  for  this  village 
has  been  so  long  settled  that  firewood  is  only  to  be  got 
from  a  great  distance,  and  their  only  resource  for  a  sum- 
mer's sto<:k  is  the  driftwood  on  the  Missourie,  which  they 
collect  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Mandanes  do.  But  as 
they  are  more  numerous  the  consumption  is  greater,  and 
transportation  from  the  river  to  the  village  is  too  tedious  a 
piece  of  business  for  the  winter.  Knife  river  supplies  them 
with  water,  which  they  carry  into  the  villages  in  buffalo 
paunches.  Their  other  utensils  and  implements  are  the 
same  as  those  of  their  neighbors,  and  they  are  likewise  pro- 
vided with  European  kettles  to  cook  meat,  besides  their 
own  earthen  pots  to  boil  corn  and  vegetables.  Early  in 
the  spring  they  return  to  sow  their  fields,  while  the  men 
are  employed  getting  driftwood  and  drowned  buffalo. 

In  1804-05,  when  Captains  ^ewis  and  Clark  wintered  near 
this  place,  they  presented  the  people  with  silver  medals  and 
flags,  the  same  as  they  gave  to  the  Mandanes ;  but  the  Big 


350 


LEWIS  AND  CLARK  UNDER  FIRE. 


Bellies  pretended  to  say  that  these  ornaments  conveyed 
bad  medicine  to  them  and  their  children.  They  are  ex* 
ceedingly  superstitious,  and,  therefore,  supposed  they  c  juld 
not  better  dispose  of  those  articles  than  by  giving  them  to 
the  natives  with  whom  they  frequently  warred,  in  hope  the 
ill-luck  would  be  conveyed  to  them.  They  were  disgusted 
at  the  high-sounding  language  the  American  captains 
bestowed  upon  themselves  and  their  own  nation,  wishing 
to  impress  the  Indians  with  an  idea  that  they  were  great 
warriors,  and  a  powerful  people  who,  if  exasperated,  could 
crush  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  etc.  This  manner  of  pro- 
ceeding did  not  agree  with  these  haughty  savages,  who 
have  too  high  an  opinion  of  themselves  to  entertain  the 
least  idea  of  acknowledging  any  race  to  be  their  superiors. 
If  the  United  States  ever  attempt  to  reduce  the  Big  Bellies 
by  force,  they  will  meet  with  more  resistance  than  they 
may  be  now  aware  of.*'  The  Mandanes  are  mure  tracta- 
ble, and  appear  well  inclined  toward  the  United  States. 

We  found  it  dangerous  whilst  in  this  village  to  stir  out  of 
the  hut  without  a  good  stout  cudgel  to  keep  off  the  dogs ; 
they  were  so  numerous  and  savage  as  sometimes  to  defy 
the  brandishing  of  our  clubs,  so  that  we  were  actually 
obliged  to  engage  with  them.  Another  disagreeable  cir- 
cumstance is  the  crowd  of  children  of  both  sexes,  who  fol- 
low us.  They  make  very  free,  and  are  very  impertinent, 
insist  upon  examining  our  clothes,  buttons,  watch,  chain — 
indeed,  everything  that  strikes  their  fancy ;  and  if  a  good 
lookout  is  not  kept,  they  pick  our  pockets.  Therefore,  it  is 
necessary  for  a  person  to  be  constantly  upon  his  guard 
against  the  equally  troublesome  children  and  dogs.  Every 
young  man  of  20  years  joins  the  crowd  to  pester  us  during 
our  walk,  and  never  gives  over  the  pursuit  until  we  enter  a 
hut.  At  the  Mandanes'  we  were  not  incommoded  in  this 
manner ;  they  have  no  dogs  to  annoy  strangers,  and  the 
children  are  not  so  impertinent.  They  have  not  the  same 
occasion  for  dogs  as  the  Big  Bellies,  being  a  stationary 

*'  This  paragraph  I  cite  verbatim  in  L.  and  C,  p.  1 191. 


^^^^S^ 


BIG  BLLLIED  COSMOGONY. 


351 


people,  whose  longest  excursions  are  only  for  a  few  days  to 
hunt  buffalo,  for  which  purpose,  and  to  convey  home  the 
meat,  they  always  use  horses. 

Another  dirty  custom  I  observed  in  all  their  villages  is 
that  of  easing  the  calls  of  nature  near  the  door  of  the  hut ; 
it  requires  the  greatest  precaution,  both  day  and  night,  to 
avoid  these  numerous  dung-hills.  The  inside  of  the  hut  is 
commonly  kept  clean.  Day  and  night  the  young  men 
watch  and  sleep  upon  the  roofs,  which  are  level  and 
spacious,  being  about  50  feet  in  circumference,  and  so  well 
supported  by  the  four  stout  posts  on  which  the  squared 
timbers  rest,  as  to  sustain  the  weight  of  50  men  at  once. 
Any  trifling  occurrence  will  assemble  them,  as  when  any- 
body arrives,  or  something  else  excites  their  curiosity. 

The  Big  Bellies,  as  far  as  I  could  learn,  have  an  extraor- 
dinary  notion  of  creation.  They  say  that  at  first  the  world 
was  entirely  water,  inhabited  by  no  living  creature  but  a 
swan,  which  in  some  unaccountable  way  produced  a  crow, 
a  wolf,  and  a  water  hv  1.  One  day  the  crow  dressed  herself 
out  very  fine,  having  daubed  herself  with  red  and  white 
earth,  particularly  her  face,  which  was  painted  in  equal  pro- 
portions of  those  two  colors.  Having  thus  made  her  person 
the  more  agreeable,  she  visited  the  wolf,  and  reminded  him 
of  their  forlorn  and  pitiful  situation,  surrounded  as  they 
were  by  water;  adding  how  much  happier  they  would 
be  had  they  but  a  certain  proportion  of  earth,  to  obtain 
which  she  proposed  to  send  the  water  hen  to  the  bottom  to 
fetch  some  up.  This  was  accordingly  done,  and  after  some 
time,  the  water  hen  returned  with  a  small  quantity  in  her 
bill.  The  crow  then  took  the  earth  in  her  hands,  and 
directed  the  wolf  to  take  a  chiecheckquoi  or  rattle,  and 
sing  a  certain  song.  While  he  was  performing,  with  a 
melodious  voice  and  graceful  manner  of  beating  time,  the 
crow  sprinkled  the  earth  around  them  ;  instantly  the  globe 
was  formed,  and  it  remains  the  same  to  this  day.  In  this 
state  they  lived  very  happily  for  some  time.  But  the  crow 
was  restless,  and  wished  to  better  their  condition.    For  this 


\.f 


352     "IF  YOU  don't  believe  it,  you're  a  kool." 

purpose  ihe  one  day  dressed  herself,  as  upon  the  former 
occasion,  and  went  to  visit  the  wolf,  who,  as  usual,  received 
her  very  kindly.  In  course  of  conversation  the  crow 
reminded  the  wolf  of  their  still  deplorable  situation,  there 
being  no  living  creatures  but  themselves  upon  the  earth ; 
they  were  indeed  as  pitiful  as  when  surrounded  by  the 
waters.  So  she  proposed  to  make  men,  or,  as  they  say, 
Indians ;  to  which  end  she  directed  him  to  sing  a  particular 
song,  whilst  she  beat  time  with  the  rattle.  After  many 
songs  had  been  sung,  the  crow  by  degrees  lost  her  natural 
form,  and  assumed  that  of  an  Indian,  who  then  made  all  the 
beasts,  birds,  fishes,  and  insects,  and  from  whom  originated 
all  the  other  Indians.  However  ridiculous  this  story  may 
appear,  argument  has  no  weight  with  them.  They  say 
bluntly  that  if  you  don't  believe  it,  you're  a  fool. 

These  people  have  no  idea  of  a  Supreme  Being  ;**  they 
deny  the  existence  of  any  such  thing.  They  also  say  that 
when  an  Indian  dies,  all  is  over  with  him ;  he  falls  to  the 
ground  and  decays,  and  never  is  any  more  seen  or  heard  of 
him.  Thus  they  have  no  notion  of  a  future  state.  They 
say  that  men  were  intended  to  enjoy  themselves  in  this 
world,  and  he  that  acquires  a  good  and  great  name  during 
his  lifetime  is  always  remembered  and  lamented.  This 
fame  can  be  attained  only  by  formal  bravery  in  some  great 
action  at  war,  marked  by  total  contempt  of  danger,  and 
even  of  death  itself.  All  these  principles  they  appear  to 
adhere  to  very  closely,  which  renders  them  an  enterprising 
and  audacious  people. 

They  are  extravagantly  fond  of  their  horses ;  many  of 
them  have  from  20  to  30 ;  yet  it  is  impossible  to  purchase 
a  common  pack-horse  for  less  than  a  new  gun,  a  fathom 
of  H.  B.  Co.  red  strouds,  and  200  balls  and  powder.    Their 


**  Heniy  does  not  teem  to  be  well  potted  on  Hidatun  theology  ;  probably 
Le  Borgne  guyed  him  a  good  deal,  and  enjoyed  mystifying  him.  Nothing  is 
more  difficult  than  to  get  at  the  facts  of  an  Indian's  belief  in  things  he  holds 
sacred.  The  statement  that  a  Supreme  Being  was  denied  is  proof  that  they 
had  an  idea  of  such  a  thing. 


SIGNIFICANT  SHAKES  OF  THE  TAIL. 


3S3 


firtt-rate  horses,  such  as  are  trained  for  war,  or  noted  for 
running,  can  hardly  be  had  for  any  quantity  of  goods. 
The  only  article  that  will  induce  them  fj  part  with  a  horse 
of  this  kind  is  a  '>hite  buffalo  hide.  They  have  a  super- 
stition  that  many  superior  virtues  are  contained  in  a  skin 
of  this  kind,  and  imagine  it  to  be  the  most  essential 
article  an  Indian  can  possess.  Every  individual  who  wishes 
to  appear  of  any  consequence  must  have  at  least  one  hide, 
and  the  more  he  has,  the  greater  his  importance. 

The  manner  of  offering  a  hide  of  this  kind  for  sale 
is  rather  extraordinary.  The  person  who  has  brought 
it  to  the  Missourie  gives  out  that  on  such  a  day  he  will 
expose  it  i>  t  sale  in  a  certain  hut.  That  morning  he 
fixes  two  sticks  in  the  ground  with  a  crotch  to  support 
the  ends  of  a  pole,  about  four  feet  in  length,  over  which 
he  stretches  the  skin,  raised  about  three  feet  from  the 
ground,  the  tail  hanging  downward.  When  he  takes  his 
station  nearby,  the  sale  commences  by  a  native  bringing 
a  horse,  which  he  ties  in  the  hut.  But  as  this  is  not  a 
sufficient  price,  the  owner  of  the  hide  casts  a  look  at  it, 
and,  without  saying  a  word,  takes  hold  of  the  tail  of  the 
hide,  and  gives  it  a  gentle  shake,  which  signifies  "not 
enough."  Soon  another  horse  is  brought,  generally  loaded 
with  corn,  beans,  etc.  The  owner  of  the  hide  again  gently 
shakes  the  tail,  and  continues  to  do  so  until  they  have 
brought  in  six  or  eight  horses,  loaded  with  corn,  beans, 
robes,  garnished  leggings,  shoes,  smocks,  etc.  Not  until 
he  has  secured  an  enormous  payment  does  he  cease  to 
shake  the  tail  at  every  article  that  the  natives  bring  to 
add  to  the  price.  But  when  they  imagine  they  have 
given  enough  for  the  hide,  they  then  bring  mere  trifles, 
just  to  keep  tally  with  the  tail.  The  owner,  who  then 
perceives  there  i.«t  no  prospect  of  getting  anything  more 
of  consequence,  rises  from  his  seat,  and  shakes  the  tail 
.  no  more,  which  is  considered  as  the  conclusion  of  the 
sale.  The  hide  is  then  taken  away,  cut  into  strips,  and 
distributed  among  those  who  gave  anything  toward  the 


HiMiimMimiMi^iij 


354 


HOW  BIG  BELLIES  BULL  THE  MARKET. 


I,<'   i 


purchase ;  everyone  receiving  according  to  the  value  of  his 
contribution.  Those  strips  of  hide  are  kept  as  if  very 
precious,  and  displayed  only  upon  certain  occasions.  At 
this  kind  of  sale  you  may  get  some  good  horses  for  hunting 
buffalo,  but  none  of  their  first-rate  war  horses.  If  you  wish 
to  have  one  of  these,  a  different  method  must  be  employed. 
Inquiry  must  first  be  made  which  of  the  natives  has  such  a 
particular  horse,  and  then  the  bargain  is  made  in  a  more 
private  manner,  with  him  only ;  you  point  out  the  horse 
you  want,  and  if  you  are  not  too  exorbitant  in  your  de- 
mand, he  seldom,  if  ever,  refuses.  By  this  manner  of  dis- 
posing of  the  hide,  you  will  always  get  two  or  three  first- 
rate  horses,  and  generally  their  loads  of  corn,  etc.,  are 
given  with  them.  They  get  a  number  of  those  skins  from 
the  Roc!;y  Mountain  Indians  and  Schians  in  exchange  for 
guns,  ammunition,  etc.,  so  that  scarcely  any  man  of  any 
note  in  all  the  five  villages  is  without  one  or  more  of  them. 
They  prefer  a  calf's  skin  to  that  of  a  full-grown  animal.  I 
observed  one  of  the  latter  in  the  Mandane  village,  whose 
head  was  on  one  side  of  a  lead  color,  inclining  to  black, 
and  upon  the  other  perfectly  white ;  upon  the  body  were 
many  large  spots  of  the  same  hue,  on  a  white  ground. 

All  the  tribes  I  saw  on  the  Missourie  have  a  mean,  dirty 
custom,  but  more  particularly  the  Big  Bellies.  When  you 
wish  to  purchase  a  horse,  or.  Indeed,  any  trifle,  they  very 
often  instantly  accept  the  price  offered,  and  go  away  appar- 
ently pleased  with  the  bargain.  But  they  soon  come  back, 
refund  the  price,  and  without  ceremony  take  back  what 
they  have  just  sold.  Should  you  offer  to  increase  the 
price,  they  may  accept  it,  but  you  may  rest  assured  it  will 
not  be  long  before  they  bring  back  your  property  and  ask 
for  theirs  in  return.  It  is  of  no  use  to  augment  the  price, 
as  in  the  end  they  will  insist  on  taking  back  their  own 
property,  being  at  the  same  time  very  particular  not  to  em- 
bezzle the  least  article  of  yours.  The  best  way  is  to  take 
back  your  own  property  upon  the  first  offer,  and  without 
murmuring.    I  was  not  philosopher  enough  to  act  in  this 


PRICES  OF  HORSES  AND  TURKEY  TAILS. 


355 


manner,  and  narrowly  escaped  getting  into  trouble,  which 
might  have  been  attended  with  serious  consequences  to 
myself.  I  had  purchased  a  tolerably  good  horse,  though 
not  a  first-rate  one,  and  paid  what  I  thought  a  good  price 
for  him,  viz.:  400  balls  and  powder,  i  new  gun,  i  chief's 
scarlet  coat,  i  copper  kettle,  i  hand  ax,  i  iron  lance  three 
feet  long,  i  broad  bead  belt,  2  wampum  hair  pipes,  2 
wa'mpum  shell  pipes,  ^  pound  blue  beads,  i  dozen  brass 
rings,  I  dozen  hawk-bells,  i  fathom  red  H.  B.  Co. 
strouds,  }i  dozen  flints,  ^  dozen  worms,  %  dozen  awls,  2 
large  knives,  2  small  knives,  i  mass  B.  C.  beads,  i  hornf ul  of 
white  powder.  These  articles,  according  to  our  standard 
price  on  Red  river,  would  amount  to  100  beaver  skins,  and 
according  to  the  valuation  of  property  on  the  Missourie,  to 
upward  of  double  the  :  amount.  He  was  not  in  my  posses- 
sion more  than  half  an  hour,  before  the  owner  sent  me 
back  my  property,  and  demanded  his  horse,  which  I  was 
obliged  to  return  to  him.  The  affair  so  vexed  me  that 
I  used  some  very  harsh  expressions  in  the  Assiniboine 
language  to  one  of  the  Big  Bellies,  who  understood  a  few 
words  of  that  tongue.  The  fellow  put  on  a  very  surly 
countenance,  and  began  to  approach  me,  when  one  of  his 
companions,  perceiving  his  design,  interfered  and  took 
him  away ;  the  affair  dropped,  as  I  saw  the  fellow  no  more. 
Another  instance  of  their  fickle  manner  of  dealing  I  will 
relate,  as  it  occurred  to  myself.  One  of  the  natives  had  a 
tijjjcey-cpck's  tail,  great  numbers  of  which  they  get  from 
the  Schians,  and  which  serve  them  as  fans ;  this  was  a  new 
and  fresh  one,  of  beautiful  hue.  I  gave  him  five  rounds  of 
ammunition  for  it,  with  which  he  appeared  well  satisfied, 
and  left  me,  but  soon  returned  with  the  ammunition,  and 
demanded  the  tail.  Being  loath  to  part  with  it,  I  added 
five  more  rounds  to  the  price,  which  he  accepted,  and  went 
away.  However,  he  soon  reappeared,  and  I  added  five 
more  ;  but  to  no  purpose,  for  he  continued  to  go  and  come 
until  the  payment  amounted  to  30  rounds.  Upon  his 
next  appearance  I  offered  40   rounds ;   but  he  would  no 


■:i)C>#!»«!e*\*^^j!^ 


S$6     FICKLE  IN  TRADING  AND  STINGY  IN  HUNTING. 

longer  listen  to  any  offer,  threw  down  my  ammunition,  and 
insisted  upon  my  returning  him  the  tail,  which  I  was 
obliged  to  do.  This  fickle  manner  of  dealing  is  common 
even  among  themselves,  and  provided  every  article  of  the 
price  is  punctually  returned,  the  buyer  cannot  object  to 
return  to  the  other  his  property,  even  should  the  bargain 
have  been  closed  for  several  ^.uys.  Though  so  changeable 
in  dealing  for  horses  and  trifles,  they  are  quite  the  reveise 
in  trading  for  buffalo  robes,  wolves,  foxes,  etc.  They  put 
little  value  on  any  of  those  skins,  and  cannot  imagine  what 
use  we  make  of  such  trash,  as  they  call  it.  They  kill  some 
beavers  and  a  few  grizzly  bears,  all  of  which  they  dispose 
of,  and  call  the  whites  fools  for  giving  them  valuable 
articles  for  such  useless  skins.  Were  it  not  for  the  H.  B. 
Co.'s  servants,  who  come  here  to  trade  every  winter,  and 
have  spoiled  the  natives  by  giving  good  prices  for  summer 
wolves,  and  other  rubbish,  we  might  carry  on  a  very  advan- 
tageous trade  with  these  people  from  our  establishment  on 
the  Assiniboine,  as  the  articles  they  require  are  of  little 
real  value  to  us. 

This  afternoon  I  was  present  at  the  return  of  a  party  of 
Big  Bellies  from  a  hunting  excursion ;  they.had  been  away 
eight  days.  It  consisted  of  about  200  men,  and  as  many 
women  and  children,  who  had  accompanied  them  to  attend 
to  their  horses  and  dogs  and  dry  the  flesh ;  all  their 
numerous  train  of  beasts  were  heavily  loaded  with  the 
spoils,  such  as  dried  meat,  hides,  skins,  and  a  quantity  of 
dried  pears  and  chokecherries.  They  had  killed,  as  nearly 
as  I  could  judge,  about  500  animals — buffalo,  red  deer,  and 
cabbrie.  But  I  did  not  observe  amongst  them  that  sociable 
custom  of  sharing  tLeir  hunt  with  their  friends,  as  the  Man- 
danes  do.  Everyone  kept  what  he  brought  home,  and 
appeared  very  careful  of  all  he  had.  Some  of  them  invited 
us  to  their  huts  to  eat,  in  expectation  of  receiving  a  bit  of 
tobacco,  but  we  found  it  impossible  to  taste  their  dried 
meat ;  it  was  so  nearly  putrid  that  the  pieces  would  scarcely 
hold  together.     This,  however,  is  entirely  to  their  liking ; 


MANNERS  AT  TABLE  AND  ELSEWHERE. 


357 


they  seldom  use  meat  till  it  is  rotten ;  they  keep  it  in 
their  huts,  unexposed  to  the  air,  till  it  is  almost  impos- 
sible for  a  stranger  to  remain  indoors  on  account  of  the 
stench  arising  from  putrefaction.  Fortunately  for  us,  none 
of  the  people  of  our  hut  belonged  to  their  hunting  party ; 
we,  therefore,  suffered  only  when  invited  into  other  huts. 

I  am  told  that  in  winter,  when  they  kill  a  buffalo,  they 
generally  cover  it  with  snow,  without  even  opening  it,  and 
leave  it  for  several  days,  until  the  flesh  acquires  a  horrid 
smell ;  they  then  cut  it  up  and  use  it.  On  the  other  hand, 
when  obliged  to  eat  fresh  meat,  they  are  mere  brutes, 
allowing  it  but  a  few  moments  to  get  thoroughly  warm, 
when  they  devour  it  like  so  many  ravenous  wolves,  with 
the  blood  streaming  down  each  side  of  their  mouths.  The 
gristle  of  the  nose,  the  liver,  kidneys,  paunch,  testicles,  and 
fat  they  devour  entirely  raw,  without  even  washing  the 
dung  from  the  paunch. 

This  evening  we  were  again  invited  into  several  huts,  but 
could  taste  of  nothing  but  corn  and  berries ;  not  a  morsel 
of  meat  was  eatable.  These  people  are  fond  of  pounding 
everything  they  eat ;  even  their  rotten  meat  is  beaten  in 
the  mortar,  with  fat  of  the  same  kind,  and  often  berries ; 
this  would  make  excellent  pemmican,  were  the  meat  in 
proper  condition.  We  took  up  our  lodgings  for  the  night 
in  Le  Borgne's  hut,  with  several  women  whose  husbands 
were  absent,  and  who  would  have  had  no  objections  to  our 
filling  the  vacancy,  especially  as  they  observed  we  had 
some  articles  they  fancied.  But  I  believe  most  of  us 
were  already  too  much  disgusted  with  them  and  their  long 
tubes  to  wish  to  become  more  intimately  acquainted. 

'July  23d.  I  was  awakened  early  by  a  young  Big  Belly, 
who  made  me  signs  to  go  with  him  to  eat.  I  got  up 
and  followed  him  to  his  hut,  where  was  spread  a  mat, 
covered  with  buffalo  hide,  on  which  he  desired  me  to 
take  my  seat.  I  did  so  accordingly ;  he  presented  me 
with  a  dish  of  water,  which,  after  my  taking  a  draught, 
he   removed,  and  handed  me  a  dish  contiainihg  several 


p^."^' 


.-)  <^"> 


cf 


1^.^  (.♦.«*.< — '-' 

r-    '       ■'''•■ 


r 


358       BURYING-GROUND— BLEACHING  SIOUX  BONES. 

balls,  about  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg,  made  of  pears,  dried 
meat,  and  parched  corn,  beaten  together  in  a  mortar. 
When  I  had  done  eating  he  took  the  dish  back,  and  gave 
me  another  of  water.  After  this  he  brought  me  his  pipe 
with  some  of  their  own  tobacco,  a  very  disagreeable  substi* 
tute  for  the  real  article.  We  soon  emptied  his  pipe  by 
their  custom  of  each  drawing  the  smoke  with  great  vio- 
lence, and  frequently  returning  it  to  the  other.  He  then 
presented  me  with  a  buffalo  robe,  making  signs  that  he 
desired  ammunition  for  it.  But  as  I  wanted  nothing  of  the 
kind,  I  gave  him  a  few  inches  of  tobacco,  and  returned  to 
my  hut.  They  often  call  in  this  ceremonious  manner  when 
their  business  is  only  to  trade  a  wolfskin  or  some  other 
trifle ;  and  it  is  exactly  in  this  manner  that  they  wait  upon 
a  guest  whom  they  invite  into  their  huts  to  eat. 

This  morning  we  took  a  walk  to  the  burying-ground, 
about  a  mile  S.  W.  of  the  village,  upon  the  declivity  of  a 
hill.  Here  we  saw  many  melancholy  spectacles  of  decayed 
and  decaying  human  forms.  Some  were  tumbling  to  the 
ground,  while  others  obliged  us  to  keep  to  windward,  to 
avoid  the  horrid  stench.  We  also  observed  a  great  pile  of 
human  bones,  which  we  were  given  to  understand  were  the 
remains  of  a  large  number  of  Sioux,  killed  on  the  spot  by 
the  Big  Bellies  about  16  years  ago,  when  the  Sioux  formed 
a  scheme  to  extirpate  every  Big  Belly  in  the  country,  and 
take  possession  of  their  villages.  The  Yanktons  and  Titons 
were  the  principal  tribes  concerned  in  this  enterprise,  and 
formed  a  camp  of  600  tents,  who  came  with  their  families 
to  undertake  this  great  affair.  They  had  previously  made 
peace  with  the  Mandanes  and  Saulteurs  [Souliers],  who 
remained  idle  spectators  during  the  siege.  The  Sioux 
appeared  openly,  and  pitched  their  600  tents  between 
Knife  river  and  the  village,  almost  within  gunshot  of  the 
latter.  In  this  situation  they  remained  for  15  days,  in 
full  hopes  of  reducing  the  inhabitants  for  want  of  water, 
having  completely  intercepted  communication  with  Knife 
river,  and  keeping  a  guard  to  prevent  them  from  getting  a 


SIOUX— SERENE  GEORGICS— CHEYENNE  SON. 


359 


supply  from  the  Missourie.  But  the  Big  Bellies,  taking 
advantage  of  the  night,  would  mount  their  best  horses  and 
run  full  speed  '.  ^  the  Missourie,  fill  their  buffalo  paunches, 
and  return  in  the  same  manner.  Several  were  killed  in  the 
attempt ;  still,  they  found  means  to  supply  themselves,  and 
even  threw  over  the  stockades  several  paunches  full,  to 
convince  the  enemy  they  were  not  in  ^vant  of  water.  This 
so  disheartened  the  Sioux  that  they  gave  up  all  hopes  of 
reducing  them ;  and  after  several  skirmishes  they  raised 
the  siege  and  returned  home,  leaving,  as  I  was  informed, 
nr^r  300  men,  who  had  fallen  in  the  different  engage- 
ments. The  Sioux  compelled  the  Mandanes  to  provide 
them  with  corn,  beans,  etc.,  for  their  sustenance. 

We  ascended  to  the  top  of  this  hill,  from  which  we  had 
a  most  delightful  view  of  the  villages  and  plantations 
below,  all  of  which  could  be  distinctly  seen  at  once,  except- 
ing the  Mandane  village  on  the  N.  The  brushwood  and 
willows  on  that  side  of  the  river  obstructed  the  view  of  the 
huts,  but  the  smoke  was  seen  rising  from  almost  every  one. 
The  Missourie  on  the  one  hand,  and  Knife  river  on  the  other^ 
wound  their  courses  through  a  level  plain,  thinly  bor- 
dered with  wood,  and  bound  in  by  high  banks  on  both 
sides,  always  at  an  equal  distance  apart,  following  the 
various  bends  of  the  rivers.  The  morning  was  calm  and 
serene ;  the  natives  were  passing  continually  to  and  fro 
between  the  villages ;  others  again  were  at  work  in  their 
fields,  and  great  numbers  of  horses,  dispersed  in  every 
direction,  served  to  enliven  the  scene. 

On  our  return  to  the  village  we  found  that  Le  Borgne's 
brother  had  arrived,  in  company  with  a  Schian.  They  kit 
the  Schian  camp  yesterday.  The  preliminaries  of  peace 
having  been  settled  by  both  parties,  these  two  messengers 
were  sent  to  invite  those  here  to  be  present  at  the  defini- 
tive treaty,  which  is  to  conclude  by  Le  Borgne's  adopting 
a  Schian  son.  This  aifair  is  generally  attended  with  great 
ceremony,  and  is  considered  the  most  binding  treaty  that 
can  be  made ;  and  the  more  to  obligate  them  in  the  ties 


S6o 


LEATHER  INDUSTRY— CACHES  OPENED. 


of  friendship,  the  women  are  invited  to  accompany  the 
men,  and  to  take  with  them  plenty  of  corn  and  beans, 
to  exchange  with  the  Schians  for  dressed  leather,  robes, 
and  dried  provisions.  They  have  a  peculiar  art  of  dress- 
ing leather,  which  the  natives  of  these  villages  have  not, 
and  this  is  one  reason  why  the  latte  prefer  it  to  their 
own.  Their  robes  are  also  trimmed  and  garnished  quite 
in  a  different  manner  from  those  of  the  .lissourie  Indians, 
as  they  use  porcupine-quills,  dried  straw  and  feathers, 
whilst  the  natives  here  use  nothing  of  the  kind  in  gar- 
nishing their  robes,  simply  painting  them  black,  red,  and 
blue ;  so  that  the  Schian  manufacture  is  by  far  the  most 
beautiful. 

The  village  was  soon  in  an  uproar,  the  women  mean- 
while uncovering  their  hidden  stores  of  corn,  beans,  etc. 
It  is  customary  in  the  fall,  after  the  harvest,  when  the 
grain  is  well  dried  in  the  sun,  to  take  it  off  the  cob,  and 
deposit  it  in  deep  pits  about  the  villages.  These  holes 
are  about  eight  feet  deep ;  the  mouth  is  just  wide  enough 
for  a  person  to  descend,  but  the  inside  is  hollowed  out 
to  any  size,  and  then  the  bottom  and  sides  are  well  lined 
with  dry  straw.  Such  caches  contain  from  20  to  30  bushels 
of  corn  and  beans,  which  are  thrown  in  loose  and  covered 
over  with  straw  and  earth.  The  ground  is  of  such  a  dry, 
sandy  nature,  that  grain  stored  in  this  way  will  keep 
for  several  years  without  injury.  So  numerous  about  the 
villages  are  these  pits,  which  at  this  season  of  the  year 
are  mostly  empty,  that  it  is  really  dangerous  for  a  stranger 
to  stir  out  after  dark,  as  the  natives  never  take  the  pre- 
caution to  cover  them  over  when  empty. 

Having  nothing  further  to  do  at  this  village,  and  being 
:thoroughly  disgusted  with  the  inhabitants,  we  saddled  and 
set  off  for  the  lower  Mandane  village.  On  our  way  we 
observed  the  women  all  busy,  taking  up  their  hidden 
-treasures  and  making  preparations  for  the  approaching 
fair.  I  was  surprised  to  see  what  quantities  they  had  on 
;hand;    I  am  very  confident  they   had  enough  to  serve 


EVIDENCE  OF  ANOTHER  COLLISION .  WITH  SIOUX.     36I 

them  at  least  12  months,  without  a  supply  of  flesh  or  any-i 
thing  else.  We  every  moment  met  women  and  children, 
loaded  with  produce,  as  we  supposed  to  exchange  with) 
their  neighbors,  so  as  to  be  provided  with  a  variety  of, 
articles.  At  two  o'clock  we  regained  our  old  quarters  and 
found  the  village  in  the  same  bustle  as  those  above- 
women  and  children  uncovering  caches  and  filling  bags,, 
repairing  saddles,  making  and  mending  shoes  and  smocks,, 
cleaning  and  rubbing  the  leather  with  white  earth.  There 
were  no  dogs  to  harass  nor  children  to  tease  us,  and  the 
natives  were  of  mild,  sociable,  and  affable  disposition ;  so 
we  found  ourselves  quite  at  home. 

I  walked  out  to  see  the  remains  of  a  great  number  of 
Sioux — some  say  near  300 ;  but  I  will  not  vouch  for  the 
truth  of  this,  as  others  say  there  were  but  30  men  killed^ 
This  Sioux  party,  like  the  other,  consisted  of  Yanktons  and 
Titons,  whose  object  on  this  occasion  was  to  destroy  the 
Ma.idanes;  but  the  Big  Bellies  came  to  the  assistance  of 
their  neighbors,  and  a  severe  battle  was  fought  on  the  level 
plain  between  the  village  and  the  high  bank.  Both  parties 
were  mounted,  and  victory  was  as  often  within  the  grasp 
of  the  one  as  of  the  other,  until  a  considerable  party  of  Big 
Bellies,  who  were  making  haste  to  assist  their  friends,  re- 
enforced  by  a  party  of  Rocky  Mountain,  or  Crow  Indians, 
who  happened  just  then  to  arrive,  all  in  a  body  rushed 
toward  the  field  of  battle.  Observing  with  what  fury  the 
front  was  engaged,  they  determined  to  surround  the  enemy 
by  turning  to  the  left  without  being  observed,  as  the 
country  perAiitted  this  movement.  They  rode  up  a  deep 
valley,  whic|^  brought  them  upon  the  hills  so  far  aWay  as 
not  to  be  in  sight  of  the  enemy.  Keeping  on  the  S.  side 
of  those  rising  grounds,  they  went  full  speed  into  the  valley 
which  led  down  to  the  rear  of  the  enemy.  There  they  fell 
in  with  a  great  number  of  women,  who  had  accompanied 
their  husbands,  in  full  expectation  of  destroying  the  Man* 
danes  and  plundering  the  village ,  numbers  of  them  were 
instantly  murdered,  and  others  retained  as  prisoners.    The 


362 


SIOUX  REPULSED— LONG  FOOT  RACES  RUN. 


party  then  appeared  on  the  rising  ground  in  the  rear  of  the 
Sioux,  and  fell  upon  them  with  fury,  dealing  death  and 
destruction  around.  The  enemy,  overpowered  by  numbers, 
a  id  exhausted  by  fatigue,  were  obliged  to  give  way,  but 
their  retreat  had  been  cut  off,  and  they  were  so  hard 
pressed  that  they  were  obliged  to  throw  themselves  into 
the  Missourie,  and  attempt  to  swim  across.  Many  more  were 
killed,  and  but  an  inconsiderable  number  survived  to  return 
to  their  own  country.  Since  that  time  they  have  been 
more  cautious  in  coming  to  war  in  these  parts,  and  have 
never  dared  to  attack  the  village.  These  villages  are  sur- 
rounded by  a  kind  of  stockade,  principally  made  of  drift- 
wood, which  has  a  miserable  appearance  and  is  daily  falling 
to  pieces ;  but  I  am  told  that  upon  any  emergency  it  can 
be  put  into  a  tolerably  good  state  of  defense  at  very  short 
notice,  as  every  man,  woman,  and  child  lends  a  hand. 

We  witnessed  a  diversion  which  takes  place  almost  every 
day  between  the  Mandanes  and  Saulteurs  [Souliers].  It  is 
the  exercise  of  running  long  foot  races,  in  order  to  be  pre- 
pared for  the  emergency  of  being  dismounted  and  obliged 
to  fly  from  their  enemies  at  war.  They  assemble  upon  a 
beautiful  green  near  the  village,  where,  having  remained 
some  time,  calling  out  to  their  comrades  to  come  and  run, 
they  set  off  in  a  file  on  a  slow  trot,  entirely  naked,  taking 
the  road  that  leads  up  the  hills  to  the  S.,  about  a  mile  from 
the  village.  Passing  near  those  rising  grounds,  they  disap- 
pear, and  are  not  seen  till  they  reappear  from  the  S.  E., 
down  a  steep  hill  and  over  a  level  plain,  to  the  spot  whence 
they  started.  Here  they  do  not  stop,  but  rush  on  to  the 
Missourie,  and  plunge  in  headlong,  all  covered  with  dust 
and  sweat.  The  race  is  at  least  six  miles  long,  and  it  is 
surprising  to  see  what  a  great  dist&.ice  some  of  them  gain 
upon  others.  This  violent  exercise  is  performed  on  the 
hottest  summer  days,  and  it  is  a  wonder  that  some  of  them 
do  not  pay  dearly  for  their  temerity. 

During  my  absence  yesterday  my  people,  who  remained 
here,  witnessed  a  horse  race.    The  Mandanes  assembled  in 


HORSE  RACING— GAMBLING  ON  THE  GREEN. 


363 


great  numbers  on  horseback,  and  rode  about  three  miles 
below  the  village,  where  all  mustered.  They  set  out  in  a 
body,  pell-mell,  whipping  and  kicking  their  horses,  directing 
their  course  along  the  foot  of  the  hills,  and  made  a  long 
circuit  at  full  speed  around  the  village.  Some  of  their 
horses  appeared  very  swift  and  spirited,  but  others  were 
miserable  animals.  On  their  arrival  they  performed  their 
warlike  manoeuvres  on  horseback,  feigning  their  different 
attacks  upon  the  enemy,  giving  their  strokes  of  the  battle- 
ax  and  thrusts  of  the  spear,  and  defending  themselves  in 
turn  by  par  ying  blows  and  covering  themselves  with  their 
shields. 

The  Big  Bellies  amuse  themselves  by  shooting  at  a  mark, 
either  with  guns  or  bows  and  arrows.  I  observed  one  par- 
ticular game  among  the  Mandanes,  which  the  young  men 
were  continually  playing.  Two  persons  are  each  provided 
with  a  stick  six  feet  long,  on  which  are  cut  a  certain  num- 
ber of  notches,  an  inch  long,  in  the  intervals  of  which  are 
fixed  the  same  number  of  small  bunches  of  feathers  of 
divers  colors,  with  three  pieces  of  wood,  16  inches  square, 
one  near  each  end,  and  one  in  the  middle ;  these  are  per- 
forated in  the  center,  and  through  them  is  passed  the  rod, 
painted  of  divers  colors.  Each  notch  has  a  particular 
mark,  the  nature  of  which  they  themselves  only  under- 
stand— indeed,  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  whole  game. 
The  ground  on  which  they  play  is  a  smooth  level  space, 
about  40  paces  long  and  5  broad.  The  players  stand  side 
by  side,  start  from  one  end  of  the  ground,  and  trot  on  till 
they  are  halfway  through,  when  one  of  them  throws  a  ball 
gently  ahead,  in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  not  roll  further 
than  the  space  allowed  for  the  game ;  at  the  same  time 
both  players  push  their  rod  forward  to  overtake  and  keep 
pace  with  the  ball,  but  not  to  check  its  course.  They  then 
examine  the  particular  notch  or  bunch  of  feathers  at  which 
the  ball  stops,  and  count  accordingly. 

The  greater  part  of  the  men — Big  Bellies,  Mandanes,  and 
Saulteurs  [Souliers] — have  lost  a  joint  of  several  fingers, 


\v 


K 


•s 


■■\ 


S-- 


364     PENIIENTIAL   MUTILATION   AND   l>EKAMUUiJ^TION. 

particularly  of  the  left  hand,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  see 
only  the  two  fore-fingers  and  thumbs  entire.  Amputa- 
tion is  performed  for  the  loss  of  a  near  relation,  and  like- 
wise during  the  days  of  penance,  on  which  they  display 
their  fortitude  and  courage  in  the  following  manner :  When 
a  young  man  has  attained  the  age  ot  20  years,  he  generally, 
in  the  depth  of  winter,  performs  his  ptnance  by  setting  out 
entirely  naked  and  alone,  with  only  two  or  three  pairs  of 
shoes,  the  iron  barb  of  an  arrow,  and  no  means  of  making 
a  fire.  In  this  condition  he  repairs  to  a  certain  high  hill, 
a  day's  journey  from  the  village.  On  this  hill  he  must 
remain  as  many  days  as  his  strength  will  permit,  during 
which  time  he  rieither  eats,  drinks,^or  sleeps,  but  passes 
the  time  in  dancing,  bawling,  howling,  and  lamenting. 
Here  also  he  amputates  a  finger  with  the  iron  barb  brought 
for  that  purpose.  Some  have  been  known  to  be  absent 
seven  days  in  the  severest  weather.  This  may  appear 
incredible,  but  I  have  it  from  several  eye-witnesses  of  such 
pilgrimages,  and  do  not  doubt  it.  After  several  Jays — 
more  or  fewer — the  penitent  makes  his  appearance,  coming 
at  full  speed,  and  as  there  is  continually  somebody  upon 
the  hrts,  information  is  instantly  given  of  his  return.  He 
is  met  by  a  particular  friend,  who  has  kept  account  of  the 
number  of  days  he  has  been  absent,  and  for  every  day  has 
been  prepared  a  bull's  head,  to  which  has  been  fastened  i  }i 
fathoms  of  cord.  The  other  end  of  this  is  affixed  to  an  in- 
cision in  the  penitent's  back  or  shoulders,  by  pinching  up  a 
fold  of  skin  and  flesh,  through  which  is  thrust  the  barb  of 
an  arrow ;  as  many  days  as  he  has  been  absent,  so  many 
must  be  the  incisions,  and  the  number  of  heads  must  also 
tally  with  them.  He  must  then  walk  around  the  village, 
howling  and  bawling,  with  all  those  bulls'  heads  trailing 
on  the  ground  ;  in  some  places,  where  the  ground  is  rough, 
the  poor  fellow  must  pull  and  tug  hard  to  get  through,  as 
the  horns  continually  catch  in  uneven  spots,  and  often  fall 
into  some  of  the  empty  corn  pits,  where  they  would  hold 
until  the  skin  gave  way  or  the  cord  broke,  were  they  not 


ATROCIOUS  TORMENTS— TATTOO. 


365 


lyi 


attended  to  by  some  children  who  make  it  their  business  to 
disengage  the  horns.  Sc  many  days  as  he  has  been  absent, 
so  many  times  must  he  wall<  round  the  village,  never  ceas- 
ing to  utter  lamentations.  Some  have  been  known  to  fall 
senseless  during  this  painful  ordeal ;  but  even  then  they 
only  allow  themselves  a  few  moments  to  recover,  and  pro- 
ceed again.  Having  finished  the  necessary  rounds,  he  is 
disengaged  from  the  bulls'  heads  by  his  friend,  with  a  long 
harangue,  applauding  his  courage  and  fortitude ;  he  may 
then  retire  to  his  hut  and  take  care  of  his  wounds,  as  he  is 
in  a  shocking  condition.  Some  never  recover,  and  others 
languish  for  months  before  they  get  well. 

They  have  another  custom  of  putting  their  courage  and 
contempt  of  pain  to  task  by  tormenting  their  flesh  in  a  most 
atrocious  manner.  This  is  done  by  pinching  up  a  fold  of 
the  skin  and  flesh  an  inch  broad,  under  which  they  pass  the 
iron  barb  o'  an  arrow ;  they  raise  stripes  in  this  manner 
from  the  back  of  the  hand  to  the  shoulder,  and  thence 
to  the  breast,  there  joining  three  or  foifr  separate  circles 
of  incisions  made  in  the  same  manner  on  the  lower  part  of 
the  breast.  Some  content  themselves  by  raising  stripes  of 
different  lengths  upon  their  arms  and  thighs,  and  forming 
crescentic  cuts  on  the  breast  in  a  very  regular  manner, 
one  within  another;  some  with  the  horns  upward,  others 
downward,  according  to  faiicy.** 

Most  of  the  women  have  their  faces  tattooed  in  a  very 
savage  manner,  lines  a  quarter  of  an  inch  broad  passing 
from  the  nose  to  the  ear,  and  down  each  side  of  the  mouth 
and  chin  to  the  throat.  This  disfigures  them  very  much  ; 
otherwise,  some  would  have  tolerably  good  faces.  Some 
tattooing  is  done  to  beautify  the  face,  but  at  other  times  it 
is  the  disfiguring  mark  of  a  fit  of  jealousy  in  the  husband. 

**  Lest  Henry's  account  of  these  self-inflicted  tortures  seem  exaggerated,  let  me 
say,  it  falls  short  of  the  actual  atrocity  of  such  performances,  which  no  fakirs 
or  devotees  of  Juggernaut  in  India  have  surpassed.  See  for  example  Catlin's 
pi.  61,  and  accompanying  texi.  Henry's  Mandan  matters  as  a  whole  should 
be  collated  not  only  with  L.  and  C,  but  also  with  Catlin's  Letters,  Nos.  10-35, 
pp.  66-807,  pll.  37-84,  and  with  the  luxurious  folios  of  Prince  Maximilian. 


t  ■»><■  T»»» '  W*.»» — ■***'*  wy'**^***»w 


t 


$66     MORE  JEALOUSY  WOULD  MEAN  LESS  SYPHILIS. 

When  k  Mandane*!  handsome  young  wife  is  too  lavish  of 
her  favors  without  his  consent,  he  tattooes  her  face  as  a 
punishment.  Although  it  cannot  be  said  that  these  people 
are  much  given  to  jealousy,  still  it  is  absolutely  necessary 
for  a  woman  to  have  the  consent  of  her  husband  to  cohabit 
with  a  stranger,  whether  he  is  white  or  one  of  their  own 
people.  But  I  observed  during  my  stay  that  this  consent 
is  not  so  very  necessary  in  regard  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
same  village,  as  every  morning  early  there  were  examples 
to  be  seen  in  their  plantations  of  their  loose  way  of  living. 
Many  of  our  servants  who  frequent  these  parts  to  trade  in 
the  winter,  and  who  have  too  intimate  connections  with  the 
fair  sex,  are  attacked  by  a  painful  and  loathsome  disorder, 
which  commonly  appears  In  the  groin,  where  it  forms 
abscesses  and,  if  neglected,  will  soon  prove  dangerous. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  CHEYENNE  TREATY:  I806. 

MEDNESDAY,  July  23d.  Early  in  the  morning  the 
natives  began  to  file  off  in  imall  parties;  all  were 
to  assemble  on  the  top  of  a  high  hill  at  some  distance  from 
the  village.  At  ten  o'clock  Le  Borgne's  brother  and  the 
Schian  arrived,  informed  us  that  all  were  off,  and  requested 
us  to  accompany  them  to  the  Schian  camp,  as  he  was  cer- 
tain that  his  brother  would  be  happy  to  see  us,  and  we 
should  be  under  his  particular  charge  in  case  of  accident. 
Having  previously  determined  to  follow  this  party,  we  were 
happy  to  have  him  propose  what  exactly  suited  our  own 
inclinations.  But  my  landlord  was  so  obliging  as  to  insist 
on  my  accepting  the  services  of  his  young  wife  on  my 
journey,  for  which  purpose  he  had  provided  her  with  a 
horse  and  other  necessaries.  I  did  not  in  the  least  relish 
this  proposal,  and  signified  as  much  to  him ;  but  he  was 
determined  to  send  her,  and  I  could  only  jiope  to  give  her 
the  slip  among  the  crowd.  As  she  was  not  ready  to  start 
at  the  same  time  we  did,  I  had  a  favorable  opportunity  of 
avoiding  her. 

We  mounted  our  horses  and  put  ourselves  under  the 
directions  of  Le  Borgne's  brother,  a  very  stout,  well-built 
fellow.  Our  course  on  leaving  the  village  was  S.,  directly 
up  the  high  bank,  through  a  very  rough,  hilly  country, 
without  wood  of  any  kind.  At  one  o'clock  we  came  to  the 
hill,  where  a  multitude  of  people  awaited  our  conductor. 
The  top  of  the  hill  was  entirely  covered  with  men,  women, 
children,  and  horses.    On  our  arrival  old  Choke-cherry,'  a 

'  "  The  old  chief  we  have  mentioned,  whose  name  it  CaltahcoU  or  Cherry  on 
a  Bush,"  L.  and  C,  p.  184,  is  doubtless  the  same  person  who  is  here  called 
"oldChoke^herry." 

3«T 


imf'*m^i\^mm%m0>''t*J^^'**^****'''  —  -^—''—\'*  » 


368 


THE  PARTY  FORMED  IN   MARCHING  ORDER. 


■i  , 


S' 


It'. 


\: 


Big  Belly,  made  a  long  harangue,  after  which  all  moved 
southward,  the  men  taking  the  van  and  the  women  bringing 
up  the  rear ;  the  latter  had  their  horses  loaded  with  corn, 
beans,  etc.,  themselves  and  children  astraddle  over  all,  like 
farmers  going  to  the  mill.  The  men's  horses  were  light, 
and  all  the  young  men  wore  their  finest  habiliments  and 
war-dresses.  Many  had  scalps  suspended  from  the  bits  of 
their  Spanish  bridles,  or  dangling  at  their  horses'  breasts,  or 
attached  to  the  handles  of  their  spears  and  battle-axes ;  all 
were  armed  with  guns,  spears,  battle-axes,  and  bows  and 
arrows.  The  party  mustered  about  500  men  and  300  women, 
all  mounted. 

Soon  after  getting  in  motion  the  young  men  formed 
themselves  into  parties  of  10  to  30  abreast  and  proceeded 
at  a  slow,  regular  pace.  They  began  to  sing  their  war- 
songs,  accompanied  with  a  number  of  rattles  ;  this,  with  the 
continual  neighing  and  snorting  of  their  horses,  which  in  a 
thanner  kept  time  to  their  songs,  and  their  regular  pace  and 
motion,  made  really  an  imposing,  warlike  spectacle.  At 
intervals  they  ceased  singing  and  ran  races,  then  formed 
again  and  proceeded  as  before.  Thus  we  jogged  along  very 
pleasantly  over  the  barren,  hilly  country  until  four  o'clock, 
when  old  Choke-cherry,  who  acted  as  generalissimo,  passed 
£tnd  repassed  amongst  us  at  full  gallop,  haranguing  and 
attended  by  three  of  his  sons,  who  repeated  what  the  old 
man  said,  which  was  an  order  to  halt  to  allow  the  horses  to 
feed  and  themselves  to  smoke.  These  three  are  princi- 
pal men  among  the  tribe,  having  performed  some  extraordi- 
nary feats  of  bravery  at  war.  The  eldest  is  named  Chief  of 
the  Wolves;'  the  second  Lake,  and  the  third  Rattlesnake. 

A  general  halt  accordingly  took  place  near  a  small  brook' 
which  runs  through  the  plains  from  W.  to  E.,  where  the 
horses  were  unloaded.     A  young  man  came  full  speed  in 

*  "  Ahnttanamokshe  or  Wolf  Man  Chief,  who  is  now  at  war,  and  is  the  son 
of  the  old  chief  we  have  mentioned,"  L.  and  C,  p.  184. 

'  This  appears  to  be  the  stream  on  the  S.  of  the  Missouri  upon  which  is  now 
a  place  called  DeapoHs  ;  but  its  name  I  have  never  learned. 


POLYGAMOUS  GENERALISSIMO  CHOKE-CHERRY. 


369 


search  of  us,  and  desired  us  to  ride  on  to  Le  Borgne's 
brother,  who  was  waiting  for  us.  We  found  him  near  the 
foot  of  the  party,  seated  upon  the  grass,  surrounded  by  the 
principal  men  of  the  village.  He  offered  us  a  seat  near 
him  and  we  partook  of  the  pipe  which  was  then  going 
round,  but  filled  only  with  disagreeable  tobacco.  We  rested 
about  an  hour,  when  the  old  man  got  up  again  and  made 
the  harangue  to  load,  which  was  expeditiously  done. 
When  all  appeared  to  be  ready,  he  gave  orders  in  another 
harangue  for  all  to  proceed.  Two  Crows,  a  Big  Belly,  who 
carried  Le  Borgne's  grand  pipe  of  ceremony,  took  the  lead, 
the  others  filing  after  him ;  a  speech  was  made  by  our  old 
general,  ordering  the  women  to  place  themselves  with  their 
loaded  horses  in  the  center ;  a  large  party  of  men  led  the 
van,  with  equal  numbers  on  each  flank  and  as  many  more  in 
the  rear.  This  precaution  was  taken  lest  an  enemy,  having 
discovered  us,  might  cut  off  some  of  the  women,  who  were 
always  straggling  behind.  This  part  of  the  country  is  very 
dangerous,  being  so  hilly  that  it  gives  an  enemy  an  oppor- 
tunity of  approaching  almost  within  gunshot  without  being 
perceived.  When  any  small  party  are  lurking  about  the 
villages,  which  is  frequently  the  case,  they  conceal  them- 
selves among  these  hills  until  an  opportunity  offers  of  get- 
ting a  scalp. 

At  sunset  we  found  ourselves  near  a  large  pond  of  stag- 
nant water,  and  our  old  spokesman  gave  orders  to  halt  and 
camp  for  the  night.  Our  conductor  again  sent  a  young 
man  on  horseback  in  search  of  us,  to  desire  us  to  take  up 
our  quarters  near  him  ;  we  accordingly  did  so,  and  found 
him,  as  usual,  smoking  with  all  the  great  men.  He  in- 
stantly made  a  place  for  us  near  himself,  presented  the 
pipe,  some  meadow  turnips,  and  a  few  ears  of  very  hard, 
dry  com,  which  the  women  had  parched  upon  the  usual 
fuel — dried  buffalo  dung.  This  was  far  from  being  a  pala- 
table supper,  as  my  teeth  could  not  manage  the  corn,  and 
the  turnips  are  insipid.  This  man  has  seven  wives,  three  of 
whom  accompany  him  upon  the  present  jaunt.    He  is  a 


370 


CHIEF  OF  THE  WOLVES — RUGGED  HILLS. 


f: 


H 


ir 


remarkably  stout,  well-proportioned  fellow,  upward  of  six 
feet  tall,  and  not  more  than  30  years  of  age  ;  his  arms  and 
breasts  are  much  disfigured  by  the  custom  of  raising  stripes 
of  skin  and  flesh ;  his  countenance  is  mild,  for  a  Big  Belly's, 
and  his  behavior  toward  us  was  always  more  affable,  gen- 
erous, and  kind  than  that  of  any  other  of  his  tribe. 

Soon  after  we  were  settled  for  the  night,  with  upward  of 
300  buffalo-dung  fires  smoking  in  every  direction  around 
us.  Chief  of  the  Wolves  mounted  a  famous  horse  of  his 
own,  and  at  full  speed  passed  through  the  camp,  leaping 
over  fires  and  baggage,  and  making  a  long  harangue,  the 
substance  of  which  was  to  order  the  young  men  to  be  upon 
the  watch  during  the  night  to  prevent  a  surprise  by  the 
enemy.  Accordingly,  several  parties  of  young  men  on  foot 
left  camp  in  different  directions,  to  take  their  stations  at  cer- 
tain distances,  and  keep  strict  watch  until  daybreak.  Our 
conductor  informed  us  that  this  was  the  point  where  Andr^ 
Gouzzeon,  who  had  deserted  the  service  of  the  N.  W.  Co. 
the  year  before,  was  murdered  by  the  Sioux,  in  company 
with  five  Mandanes,  in  1801,  while  hunting  buffalo. 

This  evening  the  weather  was  sultry  and  cloudy,  with  the 
appearance  of  rain ;  but,  to  our  great  comfort  and  surprise, 
not  one  mosquito  was  to  be  seen.  It  is  extraordinary  that 
on  the  N.  side  of  the  Missourie  those  troublesome  insects 
should  be  so  very  numerous,  while  here,  only  a  few  leagues 
to  the  S.,  not  one  is  to  be  found.  I  cannot  account  for 
this,  as  the  soil  appears  to  be  nearly  the  same.  The  coun- 
tiy,  however,  is  more  uneven  and  rugged,  with  very  few 
spots  of  level  plain  ;  the  hills,  some  of  which  are  of  amaz- 
ing height,  are  in  general  covered  with  large  stones  of 
different  kinds,  including  granite  ;  some  are  of  an  enormous 
size,  and  at  a  distance  may  be  mistaken  for  pitched  tents. 
Another  kind  is  a  flat,  soft,  reddish  stone,  which  lies  in 
piles  on  the  summits  of  some  of  the  hills.  I  measured 
some  of  these  great  slabs,  which  I  found  to  be  20  paces  in 
circumference.  Upon  these  barren  hills  even  grass  is 
scarce.    Some  of  the  lesser  hills  are  also  covered  with  this 


BAD  WATER— STEM   OF  CEREMONY— HALT  !  37 1 

reddish  stone  in  a  different  state,  being  broken  and  crum- 
bled into  a  sort  of  coarse  gravel,  the  sharp  points  of  which 
endanger  our  horses;  in  passing  over  them,  we  have  to 
proceed  with  great  caution.  We  suffered  much  from  want 
of  good  water ;  that  in  the  pond  was  a  mere  poison  to  the 
taste  and  smell,  though  the  Indians  drank  it  with  pleasure. 
These  savage  brutes  can  drink  stinking,  stagnant  water 
with  as  good  a  stomach  as  if  it  were  spruce  beer. 

July  24.th.  At  daybreak  all  were  on  che  alert ;  our  old 
general  soon  mounted  his  steed,  accompanied  by  his  eldest 
son,  who  appears  to  be  second  in  command,  and  passed 
through  the  camp,  making  his  usual  harangue  to  muster 
the  horses  and  load.  This  being  done,  another  speech 
ordered  us  to  form  and  march,  the  same  as  yesterday ;  Two 
Crows  taking  the  lead  with  the  stem  of  ceremony,  which 
he  continually  held  out  before  him,  never  allowing  it  to 
touch  either  his  own  or  any  other  horse.  Once,  when  he 
was  obliged  to  adjust  his  saddle,  and  I  was  riding  near 
him,  he  gave  me  the  stem  to  hold.  Without  any  cere- 
mony, I  laid  it  across  my  saddle-bow ;  but  the  old  gentle- 
man rode  up  in  great  haste  and  directed  me  to  hold  it 
before  me  in  such  a  manner  that  it  touched  nothing  but 
my  hand.  My  situation  was  awkward,  and  I  cannot  sup- 
pose I  held  it  with  a  good  grace ;  I  was  much  relieved 
when  he  got  ready  to  take  it,  and  determined  to  keep  at 
a  distance  from  the  old  gentleman,  lest  he  might  take  it 
into  his  head  to  honor  me  again  in  this  manner. 

At  seven  o'clock,  just  as  the  vanguard  had  gained  the 
summit  of  one  of  those  high  rocky  hills,  it  began  to  rain 
hard.  Our  old  general  ordered  a  halt,  and  his  eldest 
son  went  the  rounds  repeating  the  order.  All  covered 
themselves  as  well  as  they  could,  some  with  their  robes, 
others  with  their  saddle  equipments;  but  many  of  the 
young  men,  who  had  neither  robes  nor  saddles,  and  were 
dressed  in  their  fineries,  which  would  have  been  spoiled 
if  wet,  preferred  to  undress  entirely,  and  gave  their  friends 
their  things  to  keep  from  the  rain.     We  had   not  been 


372 


IMPRUDENT  DISOBEDIENCE  OF  ORDERS. 


is? 


I'- 


seated  many  minutes  before  word  Vvas  brought  to  our 
second  in  command  that  a  party  of  Mandanes  had '  dis- 
obeyed orders,  made  a  circuit  among  the  hills,  and  pro- 
ceeded on  their  journey ;  we  saw  them  at  some  distance 
ahead,  pushing  forward.  This  disobedience  appeared  to 
vex  him  much ;  his  countenance  changed,  and  he  jumped 
up,  declaring  vengeance  against  them  if  they  did  not 
return  instantly.  He  caught  up  his  spear,  threw  his  robe 
upon  his  horse,  and  without  either  aaddle  or  bridle,  rode  off 
after  them.  His  horse,  as  it  were,  flew  over  the  stones 
and  down  the  hill.  He  soon  overtook  and  ordered  them 
back,  which  they  as  soon  obeyed.  He  returned  in  the 
same  manner,  at  full  speed,  up  the  hill,  among  rocks  and 
stones,  where  every  moment  we  expected  to  see  him  come 
to  grief.  But,  to  my  surprise,  the  horse  never  once  stum- 
bled, nor  appeared  to  strain  himself.  The  look  of  this 
beast  was  certainly  not  in  his  favor;  he  was  a  bright  sorrel 
gelding  with  a  yellowish  mane,  seven  years  old,  and  14 
hands  high,  slim  and  long-bodied,  with  remarkably  stout 
bones,  which  gave  him  an  ugly,  awkward  appearance. 
During  the  absence  of  the  war  chief  his  father,  our  old 
general,  made  a  long  speech,  pointing  out  the  imprudence 
of  those  who  wished  to  push  on  ahead  of  the  party,  with 
such  vehemence  and  evident  displeasure  that  he  could 
scarcely  get  through  with  his  oration. 

Here  again  I  observed  the  great  superiority  the  Big 
Bellies  wish  to  maintain  over  the  Mandanes ;  their  num- 
bers indeed  give  them  this  privilege,  and  they  appear  to 
make  good  use  of  it  to  keep  their  neighbors  in  awe ;  but 
this  causes  continual  jealousy,  and  may  one  day  break  out 
in  war.  Opei  rupture  has,  in  fact,  frequently  been  immi- 
nent, though  by  the  interference  of  persons  of  considera- 
tion it  has  thus  far  been  prevented,  but  seldom  without 
some  bloodshed,  and  perhaps  a  death  or  two  on  each  side. 
The  Mandanes  have  the  reputation  of  defending  them- 
selves to  the  last  moment  when  attacked  by  an  enemy ;  let 
the  number  be  ever  so  great  against  th6m,  they  scorn  to 


DISCIPLINE  ENFORCED— MARCH   RESUMED. 


373 


fly,  and  fight  to  the  last  man.  But  they  are  not  so  enter- 
prising as  the  Big  Bellies ;  they  seldom  form  great  war  par. 
ties,  whilst  the  others  are  perpetually  at  war,  and  seldom 
is  the  village  found  with  no  party  absent  on  an  cx'  -;sion 
of  this  nature.  In  this  they  hold  themselves  above  viieir 
neighbors,  and  boast  of  warlike  actions. 

We  earnestly  begged  the  Indians  to  allow  us  to  proceed 
alone,  representing  to  them  that  we  were  in  haste  to  return 
home,  and  that  it  was  of  very  little  consequence  to  us 
whether  we  got  wet  riding,  or  sitting  on  the  ground.  Gros 
Blanc  was  anxious  to  proceed  with  us,  and  seconded  our 
proposal ;  but  a  few  words  from  our  old  general  silenced 
him,  and  he  appeared  entirely  out  of  countenance.  The 
objection  to  our  proceeding  alone  was  that  the  road  was 
dangerous,  and  as  we  were  under  their  ticular  charge, 
should  any  accident  happen  to  us,  Le  Borgne  would  cen- 
sure them ;  therefore,  we  must  make  ourselves  easy,  and  not 
think  of  leaving  them.  This  magnanimity  we  took  in  good 
part,  and  determined  to  abide  by  their  directions ;  but  we 
afterward  learned  that  it  was  mere  policy,  to  prevent  our, 
reaching  the  place  before  them.  They  knew  of  several 
famous  horses  there,  which  our  old  general  and  his  sons 
wanted  to  get  for  themselves,  and  as  we  had  some  property, 
they  supposed  we  would  purchase  those  horses.  We  had 
put  some  hopes  in  the  interference  of  Gros  Blanc ;  but 
he  was  soon  brow-beaten,  although  he  was  the  only  one 
decorated  with  a  silver  medal  of  the  United  States. 

At  eight  o'clock  the  rain  reased,  and  orders  were  given 
to  march.  At  nine  we  passed  the  Wolf's  Tent,  a  stupen- 
dous hill,  which  we  had  seen  since  yesterday  afternoon,  in 
the  form  of  a  sugar-loaf.  The  base  is  more  extended, 
and  scantily  covered  with  the  grass  that  grows  upon  red 
gravel  and  clay  soils ;  the  top  is  nearly  level,  and  covered 
with  huge  flat  stones  forming  several  shallow  caves,  in 
which  wolves  bring  forth  their  young.  Several  of  us  as^ 
cended  this  hill  on  horseback,  the  natives  making  it  a  point 
of  horsemanship  to  stick  on  as  long  as  possible,  while  to 


m  mmf 


374 


THE  wolf's  tent— tERftlWc  TOILETS. 


■  li 


1/ 


\  . 


display  the  vigorous  nerves  of  their  beasts  they  pushed  on 
as  fast  as  possible.  At  last  the  poor  animals  could  scarcely 
keep  their  legs,  the  hill  grew  so  steep ;  we  were  all  obliged 
to  dismount  and  walk  up  to  the  summit;  From  this 
spot  we  had  a  delightful  prospect,  and  saw  the  main  body 
passing  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  the  N.  side,  all  at  a  slow 
trot,  in  compact  order,  the  same  as  yesterday.  Many 
hundred  yards  below  us,  buffalo  and  cabbrie  were  feeding 
in  abundance,  but  they  were  not  molested.  We  soon 
descended  the  hill  and  joined  the  party. 

At  eleven  o'clock  orders  were  given  to  halt  for  the  pur- 
pose  of  dressing,  painting,  and  preparing  for  our  arrival 
at  the  Schian  camp,  which  was  at  no  great  distance. 
This  ceremony  and  preparation  required  some  time,  during 
which  the  old  man  and  the  principal  war  chiefs  made 
several  rounds  on  horseback,  haranguing  their  people,  and 
telling  the  young  men  to  dress  themselves  in  their  best, 
so  as  to  look  like  such  warriors  as  Willow  Indians  are 
known  to  be.  For  the  first  time  some  of  the  Mandane 
chiefs  also  made  the  rounds  on  horseback,  haranguing  their 
own  people ;  urging  the  young  men  to  decorate  themselves 
and  appear  to  the  best  advantage,  to  show  other  nations- 
that  the  stationary  village  was  as  brave  a  set  of  warriors 
as  any  in  the  world.  It  was  plain  to  see  the  partiality 
of  these  people  for  their  own  tribe.  During  the  journey, 
common  safety  kept  them  all  in  a  compact  body,  but 
whenever  a  halt  was  made,  the  inhabitants  of  the  several 
villages  formed  in  different  groups,  everyone  with  his 
own  people,  and  there  was  always  a  space  between  the 
Big  Bellies  and  the  Mandanes. 

At  one  o'clock,  all  were  decked  to  the  best  advantage, 
to  make  them  look  more  savage  and  ferocious  than  they 
naturally  were ;  this  was  certainly  bad  enough,  and  little 
art  was  required  to  render  them  truly  hideous.  Even  their 
horses  were  daubed  over  with  red  and  white  earth,  some 
in  lai^e  patches,  others  with  prints  of  the  hand,  and  others 
again  with  various  stripes  to  match  the  fierce  looks  of  the 


•ii 


THE  STIFF-NECKED  CAVALCADE  SWEEPS  ON. 


375 


riders.  A  few  hundred  such  frightful  beings,  rushing  upon 
an  enemy,  with  horrid  yells  and  shouts,  ^''ould  strike  terror 
into  people  not  accustomed  to  such  devils.  Orders  then 
given  to  mount  and  proceed  were  instantly  obeyed,  every* 
one  admiring  his  own  ferocious  appearance,  and  careful  to 
keep  in  the  nicest  order,  without  disarranging  his  dress  or 
daubing.  No  more  races  were  run ;  nothing  but  singing 
was  heard  ;  the  young  fellows  appeared  as  stiff  and  proud 
of  their  persons  as  courtiers  going  to  make  formal  appear- 
ance at  a  grand  levee,  and  scarcely  deigned  to  look  at  one 
of  us  otherwise  than  with  contempt. 

We  crossed  a  small  rivulet,  on  which  grew  a  few  stunted 
willows — the  first  wood  or  brush  we  had  seen  since  leaving 
the  Missourie.  There  must  have  been  an  astonishing  num- 
ber of  buffalo  in  these  parts  during  the  summer,  and, 
indeed,  at  all  seasons.  The  grass  is  entirely  destroyed,  and 
the  numerous  deep  ruts,  both  old  and  fresh,  almost  touch 
each  other,  and  run  in  every  direction.  At  three  o'clock 
orders  were  given  to  halt  on  the  summit  of  a  high  hill,  at 
whose  foot,  on  the  S.  side,  a  small  river  ran  from  W.  to  ...; 
half  a  mile  ahead,  on  the  banks,  appeared  some  small  wood, 
mostly  willow.  We  had  expected  to  meet  the  Schians  at 
this  river,  they  having  promised  to  advance  one  encampment 
further  N.,  as  wood  and  water  were  very  scarce  where  Le 
Borgne's  brother  had  left  them.  Our  party  appeared  sus- 
picious  of  treachery,  as  they  said  perhaps  a  re-enforcement 
at  the  Schians'  camp  or  the  arrival  of  Sioux  niight  have  deter- 
mined them  to  alter  their  plans ;  they  might  have  sacrificed 
Le  Borgne  and  some  other  great  men  who  were  there  with 
them ;  and  as  they  knew  women  were  to  accompany  our 
party,  they  might  have  laid  an  ambuscade  to  fall  upon  us. 
It  was,  therefore,  determined  to  take  possession  of  this  hill, 
and  send  some  young  men  ahead  upon  the  best  horses, 
en  dicouverte — keeping  the  Schian  with  us.  This  poor  fel- 
low appeared  very  uneasy,  and,  to  tell  the  truth,  most  of  us 
were  in  the  same  situation.  We  remained  in  suspense  for 
some  time,  till,  upon  a  distant  hill  to  the  S.,  the  young  men 


•M|M(«MMW 


m^mm 


i}\ 


'I'- 


376      IN  HOLLOW  SQUARE  TO  THE  CHEYENNE  CAMP. 

were  observed  to  make  some  signs  which  our  party  under- 
stood, and  orders  were  instantly  given  to  proceed. 

We  passed  down  the  hill  to  the  little  river,  which  ap- 
peared muddy  and  dangerous  to  cross.  The  perpetual 
crossing  of  buffalo  here,  and  the  ravages  they  have  made  in 
fording,  rendered  it  doubtful  whether  we  could  get  thiough. 
But  no  time  was  to  be  lost ;  we  dashed  in  pell-mell,  and  got 
over  as  best  we  could,  in  mud  and  mire  up  to  the  horses' 
bellies.  Many  stuck  fast  until  their  friends  helped  them 
out ;  and  those  who  got  over  waited  until  the  last  had 
crossed.  Here  we  met  our  young  men,  who  informed  us 
they  had  discovered  the  Schian  camp  at  no  great  distance 
beyond  a  hill  to  the  S.  This  information  put  everything 
in  order  again.  These  people  are  superstitious  in  many 
things,  and  so  suspicious  that  the  least  sign  of  failure  to 
keep  a  promise  made  by  a  stranger  is  instantly  attributed 
to  treachery,  and  puts  them  on  their  guard  accordingly. 
All  having  safely  crossed  the  river  and  adjusted  themselves 
afresh,  orders  were  given  to  form  and  proceed  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner  :  In  the  front  was  Le  Borgne's  brother, 
attended  by  Two  Crows  on  his  left,  holding  out  the  stem, 
and  a  war  chief  on  his  right,  supporting  an  American  flag 
on  a  long  pole.  These  three  great  men  advanced  ten 
paces;  40  Big  Bellies  immediately  followed  and  formed 
abreast,  singing  and  shaking  their  rattles.  To  the  right 
and  left  of  these,  and  somewhat  in  the  rear,  two  parties,  of 
30  men  each,  filed  off,  singing  in  the  same  m;  nner.  In  the 
rear  of  those,  again,  but  in  the  middle  linv,  was  formed 
another  party  of  40  young  men,  also  singing.  The  center 
of  these  four  squads  was  a  vacant  space,  into  which  we 
were  desired  to  form  abreast,  in  company  with  some  of  the 
most  respectable  old  men.  The  four  squads  kept  in  per- 
fect order,  closing  and  extending  their  ranks  as  the  very 
rugged  ground  required.  Behind  them  and  us  came  small 
parties  of  tens,  twenties,  and  thirties,  singing  and  shouting 
at  intervals.    The  women  brought  up  the  rear. 

Matters  being  thus  adjusted  according  to  the  plans  and 


,!;:■ 


CHEYENNE  CAVALRY  ADVANCES. 


377 


ideas  of  our  old  general  and  his  eldest  son,  the  principal 
war  chief,  we  moved  at  a  quick  step,  whilst  those  two  com- 
manders were  continually  passing  through  the  ranks  at  full 
speed,  haranguing  and  directing  the  young  men.  We  did 
not  advance  far  before  we  met  a  small  party  of  Schians  on 
horseback.  They  were  young  men  sent  to  meet  us.  They 
all  gave  us  a  friendly  shake  of  the  hand,  uttering  some  words 
in  their  own  language  which  no  one  present  understood. 
Their  horses  were  mostly  beautiful,  spiriti  d  beasts ;  some 
were  masked  in  a  very  singular  manner,  to  imitate  the  head 
of  a  buffalo,  red  deer,  or  cabbrie,  with  horns,  the  mouth 
and  nostrils — even  the  eyes— trimmed  with  red  cloth. 
This  ornamentation  gave  them  a  very  fierce  appearance. 
They  were  by  far  the  best  built  and  most  active  horses  I 
had  seen  in  this  country — superior,  in  every  respect,  to 
those  we  see  to  the  northward.  We  came  on  about  a  mile, 
when,  from  an  eminence,  we  perceived  a  large  party  of 
horsemen  advancing  abreast,  in  perfect  order.  We  were 
ordered  to  stop,  without  dismounting ;  the  several  squads 
keeping  their  respective  places,  singing,  shaking  their 
rattles,  and,  at  intervals,  shouting.  The  Schians  and 
Sioux — for  the  camp  was  composed  of  both  of  these  na- 
tions, and  a  few  Buffalo  Indians — having  advanced  within 
about  50  paces  of  us,  made  a  general  halt,  facing  us ;  they 
were  about  100  men.  The  neighing,  snorting,  and  prancing 
of  such  a  large  company  of  strange  horses,  meeting  each 
other  suddenly  and  being  restrained  by  their  riders,  had 
really  a  very  spectacular  effect. 

We  had  not  remained  many  minutes  in  this  manner, 
when  suddenly  the  first  great  war  chief  of  the  Schians,  who 
was  .posted  in  their  center,  mounted  on  a  handsome  black 
stallion,  gave  him  the  reins,  and  at  full  speed  rode  directly 
up  to  the  flag,  the  staff  of  which  he  folded  in  his  arms ; 
then  he  embraced  the  war  chief  who  held  it,  next  Le 
Borgne's  brother,  and  then  Two  Crows.  This  ceremony 
being  performed  on  horseback,  with  the  greatest  dispatch 
and  dexterity  imaginable,  he  passed  on  to  the  main  body. 


Il  I 


Y 


< 

i 

i 

378      SALUTATORY  CEREMONIES— SALUTARY  AUSPICES. 

• 
selecting  particular  persons,  whoia  he  embraced  very  cor- 
dially ;  finally  he  came  to  us  and  gave  us  a  hearty  hand* 
shake,  but  did  not  take  any  of  us  in  his  arms.  He  was 
dressed  in  a  sort  of  a  blue  coat  or  shirt,  which  he  had  pro- 
cured from  the  Spaniards,  and  a  coarse  striped  blanket, 
such  as  we  use  to  cover  ourselves  in  Canada,  also 
got  from  the  same  people.  He  was  very  active,  and  re- 
markably adroit  in  the  management  of  his  horse ;  his 
countenance  was  open  and  pleasant,  his  manner  affable 
and  agreeable.  As  soon  as  this  great  man  had  performed 
the  ceremony  of  embracing  the  flag,  his  whole  party  came 
on  full  speed  amongst  us;  at  the  same  moment  orders 
were  given  for  us  to  proceed,  and  every  one  of  them  se- 
lected one  of  our  party,  whom  he  adopted  as  his  comrade, 
which  is  done  by  riding  up  to  and  embracing  him.  The 
ground  over  which  we  moved  being  rough  and  covered 
with  loose,  round  stones,  and  all  these  ceremonies  and 
manoeuvres  being  performed  on  horseback  at  a  gallop,  it 
was  surprising  no  accident  happened.  They  each  in  turn 
shook  us  very  warmly  by  the  hand,  saying  something  we 
did  not  comprehend,  but  supposed  it  was  a  welcome.  The 
bustle  and  noise  of  so  many  horses  galloping  and  prancing 
through  the  ranks,  while  the  war  chiefs  of  all  parties,  now 
being  intermixed,  passed  from  right  to  left  at  full  speed, 
each  making  his  own  arrangements  in  his  own  language, 
had  quite  a  martial  appearance.  The  substance  of  those 
speeches  was  to  welcome  each  other,  give  mutual  thanks 
for  the  present  happy  and  auspicious  occasion,  and  express 
their  wishes  that  they  might  henceforth  live  like  brothers, 
and  bury  in  oblivion  all  former  animosities.  These  har- 
angues did  not  cease  until  we  came  in  sight  of  the  camp, 
which  we  first  saw  from  the  brow  of  a  high  hill,  situated 
upon  a  level  spot  below  us  about  half  a  mile  distant.  Be- 
tween the  camp  and  us  lay  a  rivulet,  whose  bordt/s  were 
thinly  lined  with  stunted  willows,  and  300  paces  beyond 
the  camp  appeared  another  rivulet  of  the  same  kind.  Here 
we  were  all  ordered  to  form  in  line  abreast,  with  the  women 


1 

' 

;  1  ■ 

i 

k 

'  i 

RECEPTION  BY  LE  BORGNE  HIMSELF. 


379 


in  the  rear.  Our  position  was  between  two  heights,  much 
more  elevated  than  the  eminence  on  which  we  stood,  and 
as  our  line  was  of  great  length,  it  extended  on  both  wings 
to  the  very  tops  of  those  heights,  which  overlooked  the 
camp. 

Immediately  upon  our  halting,  the  Schians  and  Sioux 
left  us,  and  rode  full  speed  down  the  hill  to  the  camp.  I 
wished  to  accompany  them,  but  was  prevented  by  the  Big 
Bellies,  who  would  allow  no  one  to  leave  the  ranks.  Our 
stay  here,  however,  was  but  short;  during  that  time  a 
terrible  singing  and  shouting  was  kept  ap  by  our  party, 
and  the  horses  appeared  to  join  in  chorus,  making  as  much 
noise  as  their  riders.  As  Le  Borgne's  brother  and  Two 
Crows  rode  oft  toward  the  camp,  we  attempted  to  leave 
the  ranks  and  follow  them,  but  were  called  back  by  the 
Chief  of  the  Wolves,  who  desired  us  to  keep  our  station  in 
the  center  of  the  line.  But  in  a  few  moments  orders  were 
issued  for  us  to  file  of!  in  small  parties  toward  the  camp ; 
and  having  almost  reached  it,  we  were  met  by  a  young 
man  on  horseback  coming  at  full  speed  into  our  ranks  in 
search  of  uii.  Desiring  us  to  follow  him,  he  wheeled  about 
and  rode  off.  We  were  not  slow  to  follow  him,  being 
heartily  tired  of  such  ceremonious  proceedings.  We  en- 
tered the  camp,  and  rode  on  to  the  further  end  after  our 
conductor,  who  stopped  at  a  large  tent,  before  the  door  of 
which  the  flag  was  flying. 

Here  we  were  met  by  Le  Borgne  himself,  who  came  out 
to  receive  us,  and  having  shaken  us  very  kindly  by  the 
hand,  desired  us  to  enter,  whilst  his  women  unsaddled  our 
horses  and  took  in  our  baggage.  He  appeared  highly 
pleased  to  see  us,  and  instantly  ordered  his  women  to  pre- 
pare something  for  us  to  eat,  which  was  soon  done,  there 
being  plenty  of  fresh  meat.  This  man  is  upward  of  six  feet 
high,  and  stout  in  proportion,  but  not  in  the  least  inclined 
to  corpulency ;  he  has  lost  the  sight  of  his  right  eye,  a  thick 
white  coat  entirely  covering  the  sight ;  but  the  penetrating 
look  from  his  left  eye,  the  great  size  of  his  aquiline  nose, 


h    'i 


3«o 


I.E  BORONE  LORD  OF  LAW  AND  LIFE. 


And  the  width  of  his  mouth,  make  ample  amends  for  that 
single  deficiency,  and  give  him  the  aspect  of  a  fierce,  savage 
brute.  His  countenance  fully  denotes  his  character,  which 
is  that  of  a  brave,  enterprising  warrior.  This  man  is  the 
great  chief  of  the  Big  Bellies,  and,  indeed,  the  principal 
man  in  the  five  villages;  whatever  he  says  is  law.  On 
many  occasions  he  has  displayed  his  personal  bravery  in 
civil  quarrels,  and  in  disturbances  between  his  own  tribe 
and  the  Mandanes,  in  every  one  of  which  he  has  gained  the 
advantage  and  succeeded  in  his  own  plans,  not  always  with- 
out the  death  of  his  adversary,  which  no  individual  dared 
avenge.  He  is  the  oldest  of  five  brothers,  and  appears  to 
be  about  45  years  of  age. 

On  our  arrival  the  principal  men  among  the  Schians  were 
busy  riding  around  at  full  speed,  both  within  and  without 
the  camp,  haranguing  with  gneat  vehemence,  ordering  the 
people  to  receive  their  friends  well,  take  them  into  their 
tents,  give  them  plenty  to  eat,  secure  their  property  from 
theft,  exchange  their  own  commodities  upon  equal  terms, 
and  cheat  or  wrong  nobody.  By  this  time  our  main  body 
had  entered  the  camp  and  were  formed  in  the  center ;  the 
young  men,  as  usual,  singing,  whilst  the  old  men  and  war 
chiefs  continually  galloped  around,  haranguing  their  own 
people  to  deal  fairly  with  the  rest,  and  be  guilty  of  no 
foolish  pranks,  but  make  a  firm  and  lasting  peace  with  a 
people  whom  they  thould  now  consider  their  best  friends. 
This  formal  business  itinued  for  some  time,  until  all  the 
women  had  been  invited  into  different  tents;  then  the  men 
ceased  haranguing  and  singing,  dismounted,  and  sent  their 
horses  to  feed  and  rest — which  many  of  them  greatly  needed 
after  the  violent  exercise  they  had  taken  since  morning. 

During  all  these  performances  Le  Borgne  never  once 
looked  out  of  his  tent,  but  sat  unconcernedly  smoking  and 
talking  Mrith  us.  His  manners  appeared  pleasant ;  in  con- 
versation a  perpetual  smile  played  upon  his  countenance ; 
nrhen  matters  did  not  please  him  he  still  smiled,  but  it  was 
then  a  ghastly  grin.    To  his  women  he  is  a  mere  brute ;  he 


VENGEANCE  IS  MINE,  SAITH  THE  LORD. 


381 


uses  them  more  like  slaves  than  wives.  They  appeared  to 
be  in  continual  dread  of  him,  and  not  without  cause,  as  he 
has  butchered  some  of  them  with  his  own  hands  and  with 
the  greatest  composure  imaginable.  Although  he  is  not  of 
a  jealous  disposition,  still  he  does  not  approve  of  his  women 
disposing  of  their  persons  without  his  knowledge.  A  strik- 
ing instance  of  this  happened  not  very  long  ago  at  his  own 
residence  whilst  he  was  absent  on  a  hunting-party.  One  of 
his  wives  had  formed  an  attachment  with  a  young  man  of 
the  same  village.  About  the  time  her  husband  was  expected 
to  return,  she,  dreading  his  anger,  left  her  hut  and  took  up 
her  abode  with  her  paramour.  Soon  after  this  Le  Borgne 
arrived,  and  presently  inquired  where  she  was.  Being 
informed  of  the  affair,  without  saying  one  word  he  took  his 
battle-ax  and  went  directly  to  the  hut  where  he  supposed 
she  was.  He  raised  up  the  door  and  saw  her  sitting  upon 
the  young  man's  bed.  He  desired  her  to  come  forth,  but 
she  hesitated  and  dared  not  stir ;  he  rushed  in  and  dragged 
her  by  the  hair  through  the  door  to  the  porch,  where  he 
dispatched  her  with  his  ax,  without  speaking  to  the  young 
man,  who  was  sitting  by  the  fire.*  It  is  extraordinary  that 
he  could  with  impunity  resent  an  affront  of  this  kind  in  such 
a  harsh  manner,  as  he  has  often  been  guilty  of  debauching 
young  women,  both  maidens  and  wives.  Some  he  has  kept 
for  his  own  use,  and  others  he  has  returned  to  their  friends 
or  husbands  when  tired  of  their  company ;  and  still  none 
have  dared  to  avenge  the  affront.  When  any  female  strikes 
his  fancy  he  makes  no  ceremony,  but  uses  her  as  if  she  was 
his  own. . 

The  Schian  camp  is  situated  in  a  delightful  spot,  on  a 
level,  elevated  plain ;  in  the  rear,  on  the  S.  runs  a  rivulet, 
beyond  which  the  river  is  bounded  by  high,  barren  hills, 
partly  covered  with  large  round  stones.  On  the  front  or 
N.  side  runs  the  rivulet  we  crossed,  aiid  there  the  view 
extends  no  further  than  the  hill  we  passed  over.  On  the 
W.,  within  about  one-quarter  of  a  mile,  a  range  of  high 

*  Thit  relation  is  also  given  by  L.  and  C. ,  p.  244. 


f 


V  ! 


rf 


'¥) 


\ 


,!  - 


hi     '^ 


1 


I' 


383 


THE  CHEYENNE  CAMP— THEIR  LANGUAGE. 


hills  runs  N.  and  S.  On  the  E.  the  plain  is  more  level 
for  about  five  miles,  when  the  view  is  terminated  by  high 
hills,  mostly  covered  with  large  round  stones ;  and  indeed 
the  level  plains  are  nearly  covered  in  the  same  manner.  It 
is  dangerous  to  chase  buffalo,  unless  both  horse  and  rider 
are  accus*:omed  to  such  rough,  stony  ground. 

The  C':imp  consisted  of  about  120  leather  tents  (exclusive 
of  small  ones,  or,  as  we  call  them,  kitchens),  nearly  all  new 
and  as  white  as  linen,  and  pitched  with  great  regularity  at 
certain  distances  apart,  in  the  shape  of  a  horseshoe — the 
opening  or  entrance  facing  N. ;  the  large  open  space  within 
the  circle  was  unencumbered.  Beside  each  large  tent  was  a 
small  one,  which  appeared  to  be  the  remains  of  an  old  one 
cut  down — that  is,  the  lower  parts,  having  become  rotten 
and  damaged  by  the  weather,  had  been  cut  off,  reducing  the 
former  size  about  one-half.  Such  tents  appear  to  be  for  the 
women's  necessary  occupations,  such  as  cooking,  preparing 
meat,  dressing  leather,  etc.  The  spaces  between  the  tents 
were  occupied  by  stages  for  drying  meat,  all  covered  with 
buffalo  flesh,  the  people  having  killed  upwards  of  200  of 
those  animals  two  days  ago.  The  extensive  double.row 
circle  of  tents  thus  joined  one  another  by  a  barricade  of 
thinly  sliced  flesh  drying  in  the  sun.  The  frames  for  drying 
dressed  skins  and  the  horse  and  dog  travailles  were  erected 
outside  the  camp.  All  the  women  appeared  to  be  hard  at 
work,  stretching  buffalo  hides,  dressing  skins,  slicing  meat 
to  dry,  and  working  robes  with  straw  and  porcupine  quills. 

The  language  of  these  people,  unlike  that  disagreeably 
harsh  jargon  of  the  Mandanes,  has  a  pleasant  sound.  Some 
people  pretend  to  say  it  has  some  affinity  to  the  Kinisti- 
neaux  tongue,  particularly  in  the  manner  of  counting  from 
one  to  ten,  which  are  nearly  the  same  words;  and  it  is 
supposed  they  originated  from  the  same  stock.*  But  of 
this  I  am  not  a  competent  judge.  My  stay  among  them 
was  too  short  and  precious  to  make  any  inquiries ;  all  I  can 

*  This  is  correct ;  the  Chejrennes  are  of  Algonquian  stock,  and  thus  of  the 
same  linguistic  family  as  the  Crees :  see  L.  and  C,  ed.  1893,  p.  147. 


I 


CHEYENNE  TRAITS — GESTURE-SPEECH. 


383 


pretend  to  say  is,  that  the  Schians  formerly  resided  N.  of 
the  Missourie,  on  the  river  that  still  bears  their  name,  and 
empties  into  Red  river  below  Otter  Tail  lake.  But  from 
which  direction  they  came  to  settle  on  Schian  river  I  can- 
not say.  They  were  formerly  at  peace  with  the  Crees  and 
Saulteurs,  being  considered  their  greatest  friends.  In  gen- 
eral the  men  are  tall,  stout,  and  well-proportioned;  their 
manners  and  customs  appear  to  me  to  be  nearly  the  same 
as  those  of  the  Sioux  of  the  Plains.  We  found  them  much 
more  cautious  than  the  Big  Bellies,  or  even  the  Mandanes. 
They  keep  their  tents,  dishes,  and  spoons  verj'  clean ;  the 
latter  are  made  out  of  the  horns  of  the  Rocky  Mountain 
ram.  They  are  much  more  decent  and  modest  than  their 
neighbors ;  all  the  men,  and  even  boys,  wear  breech-clouts. 
They  are  very  hard  people  to  trade  with.  What  few  beaver 
skins  they  had  were  purchased  without  much  trouble ;  but 
grizzly  bearskins  they  value  highly,  and  will  take  and  return 
payment  ten  times  before  you  can  get  one.  It  is  a  very 
hard  task  to  deal  with  them  ;  all  must  go  by  signs,  unless 
one  understands  the  Assiniboine  language,  and  then  he 
must  get  a  Sioux  to  interpret.  But  some  of  them  under- 
stand the  Pawnee  tongue,  and  as  some  of  our  party  spoke 
that  language,  their  conversation  between  one  another  was 
principally  by  means  of  an  interpreter.  The  natives  them- 
selves can  very  well  dispense  with  that,  and  communicate 
by  signs ;  both  parties  being  so  accustomed  to  this  manner 
of  conversation  that  they  comprehend  each  other  with  the 
greatest  ease.  I  saw  Le  Borgne  hold  a  conference  with 
some  of  the  Schians  for  more  than  an  hour,  during  which 
not  a  word  was  spoken  by  either  party,  and  all  appeared  to 
comprehend  perfectly  well  every  question  and  answer.  The 
dress  of  these  people,  like  that  of  all  other  natives  of  the 
plains,  consists  of  leather.  Many  of  the  European  dresses  I 
saw  were  of  Spanish  manufacture.  They  generally  pass  the 
winter  S.  of  the  Black  hills,  about  20  encampments  hence, 
which  I  suppose  may  be  80  or  100  leagues.  Here,  they 
say,  is  the  source  of  two  large  rivers ;  one  runs  to  the  N.  E. 


n 


»1,f 


^  1 
m 


i 


<       5 


•      1 


384 


CHEYENNE  TRADE— PEACE  REIGNS. 


and  the  other  to  the  S. ;  the  former  falls  into  the  Missourie, 
below  the  Pawnee  village,  I  believe,  under  the  name  of 
Riviere  Platte ;  the  other,  of  course,  into  the  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico. Near  the  sources  of  these  two  rivers  they  make 
their  annual  hunts  of  bear  and  beaver,  in  company  with 
the  Buffalo  Indians,  or,  as  some  call  them,  the  Cave- 
ninavish  *  tribe,  a  very  numerous  nation  inhabiting  that  part 
of  the  country.  They  consist  of  about  500  tents.  I  saw  a 
few  of  them  in  this  camp.  The  Schians,  having  made  their 
winter's  hunt,  move  northward.  They  sometimes  dispose 
of  their  skins  to  the  Pawnees  and  Sioux ;  or,  if  they  find 
any  traders  from  the  Islenois  [Illinois  river],  they  deal  with 
them.  They  are  of  a  roving  disposition,  and  seldom  remain 
long  in  any  one  spot. 

They  informed  us  that  last  fall  two  Spaniards  came  up 
the  river  which  runs  to  the  S.,  in  a  wooden  canoe  or  a 
boat  loaded  with  goods,  who  passed  the  winter  among 
them,  disposed  of  all  their  property,  and  sold  very  cheap, 
giving  a  large  double  handful  of  gunpowder  and  50  balls 
for  one  beaver.  They  told  us  that  by  spring  the  two  men 
had  collected  such  a  quantity  of  skins  that  they  were 
obliged  to  make  another  canoe;  and  even  two  could 
scarcely  contain  the  packs,  with  just  room  for  a  m?n  to  sit 
behind  to  steer. 

Affairs  went  on  smoothly,  and  peace  seemed  to  be  set- 
tled ;  nothing  was  heard  but  singing  throughout  the  camp ; 
the  young  men  were  on  horseback,  as  is  a  very  common 
custom  among  the  Missourie  tribes.  Almost  every  day, 
and  particularly  toward  evening,  the  young  men  mount 
their  horses  and  parade  around  the  v'llage  singing  ;  some- 
times two  or  three  will  get  upon  the  same  horse  to  make 
their  rounds.  The  women  were  also  busy  exchanging  their 
corn  for  leather,  robes,  smocks,  and  dried  provisions,  as  if 
at  a  country  fair.  Each  one  was  anxious  to  dispose  of  her 
property  to  advantage,  and  to  this  end  carried  a  load  from 

*  Kaninaviesch  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  p.  57 ;  Gens  des  Vaches  of  the  French, 
whence  the  name  Buffalo  Indians.    They  are  the  Arapahoet. 


INOPPORTUNE  ARRIVAL  OF  ASSINIBOINES. 


385 


tent  to  tent.  But  the  numerous  women  of  our  party  had 
overstocked  the  market,  and  many  were  obliged  to  keep 
half  what  they  had  brought,  for  want  of  buyers. 

Just  as  the  sun  was  going  down,  a  number  of  Schians, 
Big  Bellies,  Mandanes,  and  others  suddenly  mounted  on 
horseback,  armed  cap  k  pie,  and  rushed  toward  the  rivulet 
N.  of  the  encampment.  There  a  large  group  soon  collected, 
some  on  foot,  others  on  horseback,  and  showed  by  their 
actions  there  was  some  misunderstanding  which  threat- 
ened hostilities.  Everything  was  now  in  commotion  and 
confusion — the  men  arming  and  saddling  their  horses ;  the 
women  of  our  party  collecting  their  horses  and  preparing 
for  immediate  departure,  without  any  of  the  howling  and 
bawling  which  is  so  common  amongst  thsm  when  danger 
threatens.  Everyone  exerted  herself  in  sullen  silence, 
though  dismay  was  painted  on  every  face ;  and  in  a  few 
moments  all  were  ready  to  start,  should  matters  appear 
more  alarming.  Le  Borgne's  wives  advised  us  to  saddle 
also,  and  keep  ourselves  ready  to  move,  in  case  of  necessity. 
We  accordingly  did  so,  and  stood  awaiting  the  event  of  an 
affair  which  we  suspected  would  end  in  a  fight. 

After  remaining  thus  in  suspense  for  some  time,  we  were 
informed  that  the  uproar  proceeded  from  the  presence  of  1 2 
Assiniboines,  who,  having  arrived  at  the  village  just  after 
we  had  left,  and  learned  that  the  Big  Bellies  and  Mandanes 
were  mor  i  numerous  than  the  Schians  and  Sioux,  had  fol- 
lowed our  tracks  to  this  camp.  The  Schians  were  fully 
determined  to  kill  them,  as  these  people  are  inveterate  ene- 
mies. But  as  they  came  upon  our  road,  and  in  a  manner 
under  the  protection  of  our  party,  the  latter  were  resolved 
to  defend  them,  let  the  consequences  be  what  they  would. 
Le  Borgne  was  one  of  the  first  to  be  informed  of  their 
approach  ;  and,  suspecting  what  might  happen,  he  instantly 
ran  out  to  meet  them  with  his  battle-ax  in  his  hand.  He 
took  the  chief,  old  Crane,  by  the  hand,  telling  him  that  he 
might  advance  into  the  camp  without  fear  of  danger.  The 
Schians    soon    surrounded    them,  and    wished    to    strike 


-1 


386 


LE  BORGNE'S  gentle  ART  o;    PEACE. 


:'  i    ' 


H' 


tl 


8f 


if 


i  i 


some  of  the  Assiniboines ;  but  Le  Borgne,  who  was  by 
this  time  joined  by  many  of  his  own  people,  kept  them 
at  bay  by  flourishing  his  battle-ax.  He  desired  them  to 
desist ;  saying  that  if  any  of  them  were  imprudent  enough 
to  hurt  an  Assiniboine  whilst  under  his  protection,  he  might 
advance  and  make  the  attempt,  but  the  event  would  show 
who  would  be  the  most  pitiful.  Many  of  our  party  having 
assembled  and  surrounded  the  Assiniboines,  the  Schians 
were  prevented  from  approaching  within  reach.  Le  Borgne 
then  ordered  his  people  to  clear  the  way  for  them  to  enter 
the  camp,  which  was  accordingly  done,  notwithstanding 
tV  ^  Schians  were  so  anxious  to  oppose  it  that  they  offered 
j  :  Burgne  five  horses,  not  to  interfere  in  the  business. 
}  jt  he  instantly  presented  these  to  the  Assiniboines,  as 
a  convincing  proof  of  his  determination  to  defend  them, 
conducted  them  to  our  tent,  and  placed  a  guard  of  young 
men  over  them.  As  our  tent  was  not  sufficiently  large  for 
us  all,  he  separated  some  in  other  tents,  and  put  a  strong 
guard  over  each  of  them  for  the  night.  The  Schians 
appeared  enraged,  and  their  chiefs  made  continual  rounds 
on  horseback,  haranguing  in  their  ow.  language,  whilst 
the  principal  men  of  our  party  did  the  same.  The  uproar 
did  not  cease  until  dark,  when  matters  appeared  to  be 
somewhat  more  settled ;  some  of  those  who  had  before 
appeared  most  vexed  came  into  our  tent  and  smoked  with 
our  great  men  for  some  time ;  but  the  countenances  of 
both  parties  betrayed  the  inward  working  of  their  minds, 
and  it  was  evident  that  they  were  not  pleased  or  even  sat- 
isfied with  each  other.  They  often  attempted  to  force  a 
smile,  but  the  expression  was  sinister. 

Soon  after  the  uproar  had  abated,  Lc  Borgne  sent  orders 
for  the  women  to  unload  and  turn  out  their  horses  to  feed. 
He  had  also  desired  us  to  unload  and  make  ourselves 
easy,  for  as  long  as  he  could  hold  his  battle-ax  we  had 
nothing  to  dread  from  the  Schians ;  but  he  told  us  to  tie 
our  horses  near  the  tent,  and  to  be  ready  at  a  moment's 
warning  in   cese  of  a  surprise,  as  he  was  uncertain   how 


(I 


il 


]  1, 


\  'il 


THE  GREAT  MAN  RAGES  PRUDENTLY. 


3«7 


matters  might  turn  out.  He  then  mounted  and  roc*^  round 
camp  at  full  speed,  haranguing  his  people  to  the  same  pur- 
pose; he  also  forbade  anyone  to  depart,  as  many  of  the 
women  desired  to  take  advantage  of  the  darkness  to  escape 
from  a  place  where  they  feared  death. 

About  ten  o'clock  a  young  man  came  into  our  tent  to 
inform  Le  Borgne  that  the  Schians  had  stolen  some  of  the 
Mandanes'  horses,  and  that  the  latter  had  declared  that,  if 
the  horses  were  not  returned  immediately,  they  would  retal- 
iate. This  alleged  insult  added  fuel  to  the  flames;  our 
great  man  got  up  in  a  rage  and  went  out  to  inquire  into 
the  affair,  declaring  that  if  this  report  proved  to  be  true,  he 
would  instantly  spread  death  and  destruction  through  the 
camp.  He  desired  us  to  be  in  readiness  to  depart ;  but  the 
night  was  so  dark  we  could  scarcely  distinguish  our  own 
horses  from  others ;  and  to  adjust  our  saddles  and  baggages 
was  almost  impossible.  While  we  were  collecting  our  things, 
he  returned  and  informed  us  that  all  was  again  quiet ;  that 
it  was  some  of  our  own  party  who  had  taken  the  horses  to 
go  after  others  that  had  strayed,  and  that  all  had  been 
found.  Thus  our  minds  were  once  more  at  ease,  after  a 
very  diss^reeable  suspense.  Still,  we  apprehended  further 
disturbances,  as  we  overheard  Rattlesnake  and  some  other 
resolute  fellows  declare  vengeance  on  those  dogs,  as  they 
termed  the  Schians,  and  they  were  only  prevented  from 
committing  some  rash  action  by  Le  Borgne.  He  is  cer- 
tainly a  man  of  great  prudence  and  circumspection ;  he 
never  allows  himself  to  be  transported  into  such  a  passion 
as  might  commit  him  to  any  rash  action ;  he  does  every- 
thing  in  a  composed,  deliberate,  and  cool  manner.  A  fight 
on  this  occasion  would  not  have  been  on  fair  terms,  as  the 
Schirns,  Sioux,  and  Buffalo  Indians  had  only  about  200 
men,  ill  provided  with  fire-arms  and  ammunition,  whereas 
our  party  mustered  about  500  men,  all  well  armed.  Many 
of  them  had  two  guns  and  plenty  of  ammunition,  as  they 
had  declined  to  part  with  those  articles  until  we  should  be 
ready  to  depart,  when  they  proposed  to  exchange  them  for 


pi 


388 


CEREMONY  OF  ADOPTION. 


U^ 

M: 


\  ;• 


It 

V  1 


;.'», 


1  i 

1 

1 

Hi 

il 


horses.  We  passed  an  uncomfortable  night ;  the  Assini- 
boines  were  crowded  in  the  same  tent  with  us,  and  we  iirere 
convinced  that,  should  any  disturbance  take  place,  our  tent 
would  be  the  first  attacked. 

/u/y  2Sth.  At  daybreak  all  were  on  the  alert.  I  made 
several  turns  about  camp,  to  observe  what  was  going  on, 
and  entered  some  tents  where  I  had  been  kindly  received 
and  we'l  entertained,  but  found  a  great  change  in  the  phys- 
iognomy of  these  people;  all  were  silent  and  sullen. 
None  invited  us  into  their  tents  as  we  passed ;  all  turned 
their  heads,  and  pretended  not  to  see  us. 

At  eight  o'clock  the  preparations  commenced  for  Le 
Borgne  to  adopt  a  son  among  the  Schians.  This  ceremony 
is  generally  considered  conclusive  of  peace  among  the  dif< 
ferent  nations  in  these  parts.  The  affair  went  on  very 
slowly,  and  it  was  not  without  many  speeches,  smoking- 
matches,  and  persuasive  arguments,  that  the  medicine-tent 
was  prepared.  The  Schians  appeared  very  backward, 
indeed,  and  at  first  would  neither  bring  tents  enough  to 
form  the  circle,  nor  lend  a  hand  to  erect  them,  while  our 
party  appeared  very  anxious  to  forward  the  business. 
After  many  obstacles  had  been  surmounted  the  circle  was 
formed  with  six  leather  tents,  opening  to  the  N.  At  nine 
o'clock  the  ceremony  began  by  three  of  Le  Borgne's  prin- 
cipal mishinaways,*  or  secretaries,  taking  their  seats  in  the 
center  of  the  tent  which  faced  the  open  space.  One  of 
them,  Two  Crows,  with  great  ceremony  and  many  gri- 
maces, untied  the  pipe-stem,  adjusted  the  feathers,  hairs, 
etc.',  and  displayed  it  on  a  fathom  of  red  shrouds,  whilst  the 
other  two  secretaries  were  busy  singing,  one  beating  a  drum, 
and  the  other  keeping  time  with  a  rattle  made  of  cabbrie 
hoofs.  The  stem  being  thus  displayed,  old  General  Choke- 
cherry,  who  was  sure  to  make  himself  busy  upon  every 

^  Or  machinaway—o'D.t  who  attends  another  in  any  capacity.  "  The  Mach* 
inaway  du  Chien  Fou  and  associate  came  in,"  McDonnell  in  Masson,  I.  p.  a86, 
where  the  editor  notes  "  aide-de-camp,  companion,  attendant,  sometimes 
brother." 


FILIAL  AND  PATERNAL  REGARDS. 


389 


[he  Mach- 
ll.  p.  a86, 
lometimes 


occasion,  posted  himself  in  front  of  the  hut  and  uttered  a 
long  oration,  inviting  everybody  to  the  ceremony.     Many 
of  our  party  accorJingly  took  their  seats  on  each  side  of 
the  stem,  but  not  4*  Schian  or  Sioux  came  near  us.    The 
singing  recommenced,  and  continued  for  some  time,  after 
which  the  secretaries  rose  up  from  their  seats ;  one  of  them, 
taking  up  the  stem,  marched  off  with  it,  dancing  as  he  went 
to  the  drum  and  rattle,  which  the  others  sounded  close 
behind  him.     One  of  them  carried  on  his  back  a  bull's 
head,  whose  nostrils  and  eyes  were  stuffed  ''  'th  hay.     Next 
came  a  young  man  leading  three  horses,  and  after  him  a 
great  crowd  of  our   party,  merely   as   spectators.     They 
directed  their  course  to  the  tent  of  the  Schian  whom  Le 
Borgne  intended  to  adopt,  where  the  bearer  of  the  stem 
danced  for  a  few  moments.    Then  one  of  the  elder  Big 
Bellies  widened  the  door  by  pulling  out  the    pegs  from 
above  and  below ;  the  three  secretaries  entered  ;  and,  after 
dancing  before  the  intended  son,  who  held  down  his  head 
in  a  very  sullen  manner,  presented  him  with  the  stem  and 
rattle.    At  first  he  declined  it,  nor  would  he  accept  it  for 
some  time,  but  after  a  long  conversation  with   his   own 
people,  he  at  last  took  it  in  a  careless  manner,  and  ap' 
parently  much  against  his  inclination.     Le   Borgne,  who 
sat  in  the  tent  during  all  this  part  of  the  ceremony,  wrapped 
up  in  an  American  flag,  said  not  a  word,  but  cast  many  a 
sardonic  grin  at  his  adopted  son.     At  its  conclusion  he 
arose,  and  wrapped  the  flag  around  the  adopted  son,  giving 
into  his  hand  the  three  cords  which  tied  the  three  horses  at 
the  door,  which  the  Schian  instantly  handed  to  his  wife. 
Le  Borgne  then  took  him  by  one  arm,  and  Chief  of  the 
Wolves  held  him  by  the  other ;  they  thus  raised  him  gently 
from  the  ground,  and  conducted  him  to  the  medicine  tent, 
attended  by  the  three  secretaries  with  their  music.    On  their 
arrival  he  was  placed   in  the  center,  opposite  the  fathom 
of  red  strouds,  holding  the  stem  in  his  right  hand ;  Le 
Borgne  was  seated  on  his  right  hand,  and  Chief  of  the 
Wolves  on  his  left ;  near  them  were  the  three  secretaries, 


390 


VALUABLE  CONSIDERATIONS. 


H 


111!    i 


!  ; 


It '; 


who  continued  to  sing  and  shake  the  rattle  ;  the  bull's  head 
was  placed  opposite  the  cloth  and  son.    The  Big  Bellies 
brought  in  some  ammunition,  and  laid  it  upon  the  strouds ; 
the  son  was  directed  to  lay  the  stem  over  these  articles, 
which    he  did  accordingly.     Our  old  general    was   again 
posted  opposite  the  entrance  of  the  shelter,  where  he  was 
fully  employed  in  his  usual  vocation  of  haranguing,  inviting 
everyone  to  bring  something  to  put  under  the  stem.     But 
all  his  eloquence  was  in  vain  ;  not  a  Schian  came  forward 
until  some  of  their  old  men  had  gone  the  rounds  making  long 
speeches,  when  a  few  of  the  Schians  appeared  with  some 
garnished  robes  and  dressed  leather,  which  were  spread  on 
the  ground  near  the  bull's  head,  which  was  then  laid  upon 
the  heap.    The  Big  Bellies  next  brought  two  guns,  which 
they  placed  under  the  stem.     The  Schians    put  another 
robe  or  two  under  the  bull's  head.    Our  party  were  each 
time  more  ready  to  come  forward  with  their  property  than 
the  others  were  with  theirs.     The  latter  next  brought  some 
old,  scabby,  sore-backed  horses  for  the  bull's  head.     This 
compliment  was  returned  by  our  party  with  corn,  beans, 
ammunition,  and  a  gun.     General  Chokecherry  grew  impa- 
tient, and  reproached  the  Schians  in  a  very  severe  and  harsh 
manner  for  their  mean  and  avaricious  manner  of  dealing, 
in  bringing  forward  their  trash  and  rotten  horses,  saying 
that  the  Big  Bellies  were  ready  to  give  good   guns  and 
ammunition,  but  expected  to  receive  good  horses  in  return. 
In  answer  to  this  they  were  given  to  understand  by  the 
Schians   that    they    must    first    put    all    their    guns  and 
ammunition  under  the  stem,  immediately  after  which  the 
Schians,  in  their  turn,  would  bring  in  good  horses.     As  it 
was  never  customary  in  an  affair  of  this  kind  for  either 
party  to  pailicularize  the  articles  to  be  brought  to  the  stem 
or  bull's  head,  but  for  everyone  to  contribute   what   he 
pleased  of  the  best  he  had,  this  proposal  induced  our  party 
to  suspect  the  Schians  had  planned  to  get  our  firearms  and 
ammunition  into  their  own  possession,  that  they  might  be 
a  match  for  us,  and  comr  ence  hostilities.    To  prevent  this, 


BAD  BUSINESS  AND   WORSE   BEVERAGE. 


391 


no  more  guns  or  ammunition  were  brought  forward,  and 
the  Schians  were  told  they  must  first  produce  some  of  their 
best  hoises;  but  to  this  they  would  not  listen.  After  a 
few  more  trifles  had  been  given  in  on  both  sides,  the  busi- 
ness  ciime  to  a  stand-still  on  the  part  of  the  Schians,  who 
retired  to  their  tents. 

It  was  about  3  p.  m.  when  affairs  thus  assumed  a  gloomy 
aspect;  harangues  were  made  through  the  camp  by  both 
parties,  evidently  not  of  a  very  amiable  nature;  frequent 
menaces  were  made  by  our  party,  and  the  other  as  often 
retorted.  The  ceremony  was  totally  neglected  and  every- 
body left  the  spot.  The  adopted  son  went  sullenly  to 
his  own  tent ;  horses  were  collected  on  both  sides ;  every- 
one was  surly  and  gloomy ;  silence  reigned  throughout  the 
camp,  only  broken  by  the  neighing  of  horses  and  some  few 
orations ;  the  weather  was  hot  and  sultry.  Water  was  only 
to  be  got  at  some  distance,  and  was  very  filthy,  both  rivu- 
lets being  dry  e:  cept  in  stagnant  puddles  full  of  dung  and 
urine,  where  hundreds  of  horses  had  been  drinking  and  roll- 
ing. The  impracticability  of  procuring  any  other  had 
obliged  us  to  use  this  water;  but  at  this  critical  moment  we 
could  get  none,  as  we  did  not  think  it  prudent  to  separate 
from  our  main  body  to  such  a  distance.  I  entered  several 
tents,  but  in  vain.  I  saw  water  in  bladders  and  paunches„ 
but  it  was  refused  me.  At  one  time  I  caught  hold  of  a 
bladder  and  a  ram's  horn  to  satisfy  my  thirst,  hut  both  were 
snatched  away  by  one  of  the  women,  who  were  as  sulky  and 
sullen  as  the  men.  I  was  exasperated  and  choking  with 
thirst,  when  I  met  a  woman  with  a  bladder  full  of  this  filthy 
beverage.  Without  any  ceremony  or  asking  her  permission, 
as  I  was  certain  she  would  refuse  me,  I  jerked  the  bladder 
out  of  her  hands,  cut  a  hole  in  it,  and  took  a  copious 
draught  of  the  contents,  which  consisted  of  equal  parts  of 
horse  dung,  urine,  and  stagnant  water.  The  woman  made 
several  unsuccessful  attempts  to  recover  the  bladder,  but  I 
kept  hold  until  my  companions  were  fully  satisfied  also. 

During  this  affray  Le  Borgne  had  been  to  the  center  of 


1; 

I 


h''i' 


I 


V\ 


H  'i' 


.» 

i^:: 


1.  !|-         • 


r 

I 


! 


i 


392      TUMULTUOUS  TERMINATION  OF  THE  TREATY. 

the  camp  and  made  a  long  speech,  at  the  end  of  which  he 
ordered  all  hands,  men  and  women,  to  saddle  and  load  in- 
stantly ;  but  most  of  them  were  already  prepared  to  depart, 
and  only  awaited  his  orders  to  march.  The  sun  was  about 
an  hour  high,  when,  in  the  greatest  hurry,  bustle,  and  con* 
fusiuii,  the  women  saddled  and  loaded  their  horses  as  fast 
as  possible,  and  began  to  file  off  by  the  route  we  came. 
By  this  time  the  men  had  become  still  more  excited ;  every- 
one was  armed  and  on  horseback,  with  a  ball  in  his  mouth  ; 
haranguing  went  on  throughout  the  camp ;  the  horses  were 
neighing  and  prancing  impatiently,  and  instant  battle 
threatened. 

The  women  being  all  at  some  distance,  Le  Borgne  ordered 
the  men  off  and  desired  us  to  keep  close  by  him.  We  all 
moved  in  a  body,  without  any  regular  form  of  marching,  and 
our  horses  at  a  slow  walk.  We  were  accompanied  by  the 
main  body  of  the  Schians,  who  mixed  with  our  party  and 
did  not  appear  in  the  least  afraid  of  our  superior  numbers, 
but  with  fierce  countenances  rode  up  to  the  most  tumult- 
uous of  our  party  and  vociferated  to  them  with  many  signifi- 
ant  signs  and  gestures.  We  really  expected  every  moment 
to  see  s'^me  of  them  strike  a  fatal  blow,  and  thus  precipitate 
the  conflict,  as  they  certainly  pushed  our  party  to  the  last 
extremity.  I  could  not  help  admiring  the  conduct  of  our 
commander-in-chief,  Le  Borgne ;  in  all  this  tumult  he  said 
very  little,  and  appeared  qi  ite  unconcerned ;  but  I  observed 
he  was  always  upon  his  gyard,  and  that  no  Schian  person- 
ally insulted  him. 

I  was  anxious  to  purchase  one  of  their  horses  which  had 
struck  my  fancy ;  he  was  a  beautiful  pied  stallion  four  years 
old,  the  most  spirited  and  swiftest  beast  I  ever  saw  in  the 
North  West.  The  owner  had  promised  him  to  me  at  the 
high  price  I  offered,  but  as  several  Big  Bellies  also  wanted 
him,  and  the  owner  wished  to  prevent  jealousy,  he  desired 
me  to  keep  up  the  payment  until  the  moment  I  left,  when 
he  would  deliver  the  horse.  During  the  commotion  in 
camp  I  went  to  him  with  my  goods  and  demanded  the 


t 


THREATENED  RUPTURE  OF  DIPLOMATIC  RELATIONS.    393 

horse,  but  he  would  not  listen  to  me.  One  of  the  Big  Belly 
war  chiefs  had  offered  him  one  of  his  wives,  two  horses,  and 
the  value  of  50  skins  in  goods,  but  in  vain.  I  met  the  fellow 
on  this  horse,  and  proposed  once  more  to  bargain,  offering 
him  the  value  of  100  skins  in  prime  goods  and  my  own 
horse  ;  but  he  would  not  even  return  me  an  answer. 

Having  reached  the  eminence  whence  we  had  first  seen 
the  Schian  camp  we  stopped,  and  formed  into  line  abreast. 
Here  both  parties  again  disputed  and  argued  with  each 
other  until  many  worked  themselves  up  into  such  a  frenzy 
as  to  foam  at  the  mouth,  especially  the  Schians,  who  ap. 
peared  quite  undaunted,  and,  I  believe,  would  have  fought 
like  heroes.  It  was  surprising  to  see  what  expert  horse- 
men these  people  are ;  the  agility  of  the  beasts  and  the 
dexterity  of  the  riders  were  astonishing.  We  proceeded, 
and  soon  overtook  the  women  ;  when,  observing  the  enemy 
still  on  the  hill,  in  a  menacing  position,  orders  were  given 
to  halt.  The  women  with  the  pack  horses  were  placed  in 
the  center,  and  a  large  body  of  men  were  stationed  around 
them  as  a  guard.  Le  Borgne,  accompanied  by  a  large 
party,  well  armed,  with  their  guns  loaded  and  fresh  primed, 
and  balls  in  their  mouths,  returned  to  the  Schians,  who 
awaited  their  approach.  We  remained  in  suspense  for 
some  time,  observing  the  motions  of  Le  Borgne  and  his 
party,  whom  we  every  moment  expected  to  see  engaged  in 
battle ;  but,  after  a  short  conference  with  the  enemy,  they 
returned,  having,  as  they  said,  frightened  the  Schians  back 
to  camp. 

Orders  were  given  to  push  on  with  all  speed  possible, 
and  instantly  obeyed.  Old  men  dispersed  throughout  the 
party,  haranguing  and  encouraging  the  women  to  drive  on 
fast,  whilst  young  men  were  dispatched  in  every  direction 
upon  the  hills  to  see  that  we  were  not  surrounded.  Thus 
we  continued  on  our  march  until  dark,  when  orders  were 
given  to  halt  and  camp  for  the  night.  We  found  plenty  of 
excellent  water,  which  both  men  and  beasts  greatly  needed, 
and  I  found  it  the  pleasantest  cordial  I  ever  tasted. 


■.I- 


,  .,|+».T--T~*i.S,ii>3a» 


i 


394 


MUCH  ADO  ABOUT  NOTHING. 


Le  Borgne  told  us  *  the  reason  why  he  did  not  with  to 
push  the  affair  to  extremities  was  the  great  number  of 
women  and  children  who  accompanied  us,  most  of  whom 
would  have  been  destroyed ;  but  he  declared  he  would  be 
revenged  upon  the  Schians  for  the  manner  in  which  they 
had  slighted  his  medicine  stem.  He  directed  his  women  to 
form  a  kind  of  intrenchment  with  his  baggage  and  saddles, 
inside  of  which  we  slept  with  him  and  them.  He  desired 
us  to  fresh  prime  our  guns,  examine  the  flints,  and  be 
ready  to  fire  at  a  moment's  warning.  He  also  ordered  a 
number  of  young  men  to  surround  and  watch  the  camp 
during  the  night.  Everyone  slept  with  his  arms  beside 
him.  As  our  horses  were  tied  at  our  feet,  we  were  every 
moment  in  danger  of  being  trampled  ;  but  as  we  were 
entirely  free  from  mosquitoes,  or  any  kind  of  troublesome 
flies,  the  horses  were  quiet.  The  poor  beasts  had  eaten 
little  for  some  days;  they  devoured  the  grass,  which 
was  of  an  excellent  kind  for  them,  upon  this  spot.  Le 
Borgne  had  four  mules,  which  were  vicious  brutes ;  when 
any  other  animal  came  near,  they  brayed  and  kicked  enough 
to  alarm  the  whole  camp.  The  noise  those  animals  kept 
up  all  night  was  hideous. 

I  could  not  but  reflect  upon  the  great  fuss  and  uproar  I 
had  witnessed,  and  was  surprised  that  it  ceased  without 
bloodshed.  These  people  are  certainly  clamorous  and 
noisy  upon  the  most  trifling  occasion,  and  one  unaccus- 
tomed lo  them  would  imagine  every  moment  they  were 


"  As  bearing  on  this  statement  I  may  cite  C.  McKenzie  in  Masson,  /.  c,  p.  391 : 
"  The  Gros  Ventres  and  Mandans  having  collected  on  an  eminence  or  rising 
ground  above  the  camp,  we  all  made  a  halt,  and  while  we  were  preparing  for 
the  worse,  the  Borgne.  who  was  on  foot,  came  to  Mr.  Chaboillez  saying  :  '  My 
equal,  lend  me  your  horse  that  I  may  go  and  speak  to  those  dogs  and  know 
whether  they  prefer  peace  to  war.'  Mr.  Chaboillez  did  not  relish  the  idea  of 
parting  with  a  famous  runner  at  this  time,  but  the  Borgne  pressed  him  in  a 
commanding  voice  to  obey.  While  Mr.  Chaboillez  was  taking  the  saddle  off 
the  horse,  I  asked  the  Borgne  if  they  were  to  fight.  '  My  son,'  said  he,  '  we 
have  too  many  children  and  women  here  to  commence  hostilities  ourselves,  but, 
if  we  are  attacked,  we  must  not  flinch.'  " 


SACRIPICIAI.  SOAKING  OF  A   HIDE. 


SM 


going  to  be  at  loggerheads.  But  many  such  affairs 
end  in  vociferation.  Certainly  some  other  nations,  such, 
for  instance,  as  the  Saulteurs,  would  not  have  made  half 
so  much  noise  before  beginning  a  battle. 

July  a6th.  During  the  night  we  had  a  terrible  storm  of 
thunder,  lightning,  and  torrents  of  rain,  which  ceased  at 
sunrise,  but  not  until  every  one  o'  us  was  wet  to  the  skin ; 
the  men's  robes  and  leggings,  and  the  women's  shifts,  were 
in  a  sad  state.  Soon  after  the  rain  ceased  a  tremen* 
dous  pelting  and  beating  commenced,  which  at  a  distance 
might  have  been  taken  for  several  hundred  men  threshing 
wheat.  This  operation  over,  all  the  leather  articles  were 
well  rubbed  with  white  clay,  which,  I  am  told,  prevents  them 
from  getting  stiff  or  hard  in  drying ;  for  this  purpose  they 
always  carry  some  of  this  clay  with  them. 

This  morning  early  Le  Borgne  employed  one  of  his 
principal  secretaries  to  make  a  long  speech,  advising  the 
people  of  his  intention  of  sacrificing  to  the  waters  a  white 
buffalo  hide  an  article  of  the  highest  value  and  estimation 
among  them.  The  speech  being  concluded,  five  of  his 
principal  war  chiefs  and  great  men  took  up  the  hide  with 
great  ceremony,  and  carried  it  to  the  rivulet  near  which  we 
had  camped.  Having  searched  out  the  deepest  spot,  they 
put  the  hide  in  the  water,  and  sunk  it  to  the  bottom  with 
large  stones.  During  this  ceremony  our  old  general  stood 
on  the  bank,  making  a  long  harangue.  I  could  not  learn 
the  particular  reason  for  this  sacrifice,  or  the  substance  of 
the  oration,  as  our  interpreter  was  absent  in  search  of  his 
horse,  that  had  broken  loose  during  the  night. 

This  affair  being  over,  and  the  weathe:  dear,  Le  Borgne 
directed  our  old  general  to  make  a  speech,  in  which  march- 
ing orders  were  given.  Everyone  was  soon  ready,  and  we 
started  pell-mell.  Our  progress  was  iTiuch  more  expeditious 
than  before ;  no  further  ceremony  was  tnade,  either  to  halt, 
smoke,  or  anything  else.  VVc  pushed  on  with  all  haste 
until  eight  o'clock,  when  the  rain  began  af;:\in  to  pour  down 
hard;  orders  to  halt  were   given,   and   instantly  obeyed. 


\'v. 


i 


[if 

■  I. 
I*' 


i  .ill 


] 


l 


*   :tV 


1? 


I  I       ) 


I       ^ 


.:| 


'•r 


F    ^1 


396 


ALL  S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL. 


But  in  about  an  hour  the  storm  was  over,  and  for  the  last 
time  orders  were  given  to  load  and  proceed.  As  there  was 
no  further  danger  of  the  bchians  pursuing  us,  everyone 
went  as  he  p'.eased,  and  we  were  soon  -divided  into  more 
than  200  parties,  dispersed  over  the  plains  and  hills  in 
every  direction.  Le  Borgne  desired  us  to  keep  near  him 
and  his  party,  which  was  the  most  numerous.  At  ten 
o'clock  we  came  to  the  Wolf's  Tent,  which  some  of  us 
ascended  on  horseback,  whence  we  had  a  delightful  view  of 
the  country,  and  of  the  different  parties  on  their  way  home- 
ward— the  Mandanes  keeping  eastward,  the  Big  Bellies 
westward,  and  the  Saulteurs  [Souliers]  northward. 

At  some  distance  to  the  N.  E.,  we  observed  a  herd  of 
bufTalo,  which  being  signaled  to  a  party  passing  below  us, 
in  an  instant  upward  of  50  horsemen  were  in  pursuit.  Here 
we  dried  our  cloaks,  robes,  and  blar'-ets,  and  then  pushed 
on  to  overtake  the  hunting  party,  who  had  killed  a  great 
many,  and  were  well  loaded  with  flesh.  We  soon  after 
came  to  a  brook  that  emptied  into  Knife  river,  where  we 
found  a  few  stunted  willows,  and  saw  that  many  of  the  Big 
Bellies  had  stopped  to  light  a  fire  and  turn  their  horses 
out  to  feed.  We  also  halted,  as  ours  stood  in  great  need  of 
refreshment,  too,  and  we  ourselves  had  eaten  nothing  but  a 
few  raw  meadow-turnips  since  the  first  meal  we  made  at  the 
Schians'  camp.  We  found  some  difficulty  in  procuring 
anything  from  those  avaricious  Big  Bellies,  who  set  more 
value  upon  a  piece  of  fresh  meat  than  they  do  on  a  beaver 
or  bear  skin.  We  wished  to  buy  a  few  pounds  to  roast, 
but  they  would  dispose  of  none,  and  had  it  not  been  that 
Le  Borgne  joined  us,  we  would  not  have  got  one  mouthful. 
When  he  came  up  and  his  women  unloaded  their  horses 
and  mules,  he  was  presented  with  some  meat,  which  they 
roasted,  or  rather  warmed,  for  it  was  positively  raw  when 
he  invited  us  to  eat.  In  payment  for  this  he  made  no 
scruple  of  accepting  the  contents  of  our  powder-horns  and 
shot-bags,  and  even  begged  some  tobacco.  This  repast  of 
raw  flesh  cost  us  each,  according  to  the  valuation  of  prop- 


(jn 


EXCEPT  THE  BILL  OF  FARE. 


397 


erty  in  those  parts,  two  skins,  or  12  livres  North  West  cur- 
rency, making  24  livres  Quebec  currency,  or  one  pound 
Halifax  currency.  Here  I  observed  the  filthy  manners  of 
these  people  in  feasting  on  the  raw  entrails  of  buffalo.  The 
paunch,  liver,  kidneys,  fat,  testicles,  gristle,  marrow-bones, 
and  several  other  pieces,  they  hand  about  and  devour  like 
famished  wolves,  whilst  blood  and  dung  stream  down  from 
their  mouths  ;  it  was  disgusting  to  see  them. 

We  remained  here  but  a  short  time,  when  we  saddled  and 
proceeded  alone,  directing  our  course  toward  the  Mandane 
village,  heartily  glad  to  get  rid  of  those  disagreeable,  selfish, 
haughty  Big  Bellies,  who  from  the  place  we  left  them  went 
down  Knife  river  to  their  own  villages.  We  overtook  a 
Big  Belly  with  a  horse-load  of  buffalo  meat,  and  proposed 
to  purchase  some  ;  but  the  old  man  was  loath  to  sell  any ; 
however,  our  ammunition  tempted  him,  and  for  the  value  of 
six  skins  he  consented  to  let  us  have  the  two  placottes. 
These  we  instantly  threw  on  a  horse  and  sent  off,  whilst  I 
remained  to  make  payment.  Having  received  it,  and  held 
a  consultation  with  his  wife,  the  old  man  wanted  to  return 
the  ammunition  and  take  back  the  meat ;  but  it  was  gone 
too  far.  He  grumbled  so  much  that  we  gave  him  a  few 
inches  of  tobacco,  which  seemed  to  please  him,  and  then 
rode  away. 


Z^(t 


3^ 


-1 


il 


i 


'OX.-.t^    .-.i.*-».,-.i ■'--"4fc    'i*-*^,  »-  -ft. '4*^^ 


i  i. 


i  :l 


»'} 


if 


CHAPTER  XL 

FROM  THE  MANDANS  TO  PEMBINA:    1806. 

99  T  five  o'clock  we  reached  the  great  Mandane  village 
^^  safe,  and  found  our  people  anxiously  waiting  for  us ; 
they  had  received  intelligence  of  the  misunderstanding 
among  the  Schians,  and  as  we  had  not  kept  company  with 
the  Mandanes,  they  feared  some  accident  had  happened  us. 
They  now  informed  us  that  during  our  absence  a  party  of 
30  Rocky  Mountain  Indians  of  the  Crow  nation  had  arrived 
with  their  families  at  the  Big  Bellies'  villages,  with  a  great 
number  of  horses,  and  some  skins,  furs,  and  slaves,  to  barter 
for  guns,  ammunition,  tobacco,  axes,  etc.,  as  those  people 
have  no  other  means  of  procuring  European  articles.  Some 
of  them,  indeed,  go  toward  the  Spanish,  settlements  with 
the  Flatheads ;  but  what  they  get  in  that  way  is  too  trifling 
to  answer  their  purposes.  They  brought  word  that  the 
American  party  of  Captains  Lewis  and  Clark  had  ascended 
the  Missourie,  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  fallen 
upon  a  large  river  which  they  supposed  would  conduct 
them  to  the  ocean.  They  also  informed  us  that  these  gen- 
tlemen had  had  trouble  with  the  Snake,  Flathead,  and 
Oreilh?  [Nez]  Perc6  nations,  who  inhabit  the  Rocky  Mount- 
ains.' My  kind  landlord  asked  me  where  I  had  left  his 
young  wife,  and,  on  my  informing  him  that  I  had  not  seen 
her,  excepting  once  in  the  Schian  camp,  he  appeared 
displeased,  and  reproached  me  for  neglecting  her. 

'  A  sample  of  the  way  rumor  flew  in  those  days,  and  lost  all  semblance  of  fact 
in  its  flight.  Needless  to  say,  L.  and  C.  had  no  trouble  with  any  of  the 
Indians  named;  and  Captain  Lewis'  brush  with  the  Blackfeet  on  Maria's  river 
did  not  take  place  till  July  27th,  the  day  after  that  whose  incidents  Henry  is 
narrating.  By  "Oreille  Perc^"  of  the  above  passa^;D  I  presume  we  are  to 
understand  Nez  Perc^,  or  Chopunnish,  as  L.  and  C.  did  not  meet  with  the 
Pend  d'Oreilles. 

39S 


.-•• 


ROCKY   MOUNTAIN  CROWS  AND  FLATHEADS. 


399 


Sunday,  July  27th,  Early  this  morning  we  mounted  and 
went  to  the  other  village  to  see  the  Crows.  It  was  disgust- 
ing to  see  how  those  impious  vagabonds,  the  Big  Bellies, 
keep  those  poor  inoffensive  Crows  in  subjection,  making 
their  own  price  for  horses  and  everything  else;  nor  will 
they  allow  a  stranger  to  give  the  Crows  the  real  value  of 
their  commodities ;  the  price  once  fixed  by  those  scoundrels, 
they  permit  no  one  to  give  more.  By  this  means  they  gen- 
erally  get  whatever  is  brought  into  their  villages,  and  then 
sell  out  to  strangers  for  double  what  it  cost  them.  To-day 
we  were  continually  watched  and  attended  by  Rattlesnake, 
who  frequently  threatened  that,  if  we  purchased  a  horse 
from  the  Crows  for  more  than  the  Big  Bellies  offered,  he 
would  take  it  from  us  and  keep  it  himself.  The  Crows  had 
a  handsome  slave  girl,  about  12  years  of  age,  who  was 
offered  to  us  for  a  gun,  100  balls,  and  powder  enough  to 
fire  them ;  but  those  rascally  Big  Bellies  would  not  allow 
us  to  purchase  her,  saying  they  wanted  her  for  themselves. 
The  language  tff,  the  Crows  is  nearly  the  same  as  the  Big 
Bellies' ;  there  is  also  a  great  similitude  between  those  two 
nations  in  manners,  customs,  and  dress.  They  have  the 
character  of  a  brave  and  warlike  people  ;  though  obliged  to 
put  up  with  many  insults  from  the  people  here,  they  have 
been  repeatedly  at  war  with  the  latter,  and  on  many  occa- 
sions have  displayed  dauntless  spirit.  I  am  informed  they 
are  much  addicted  to  unnatural  and  beastly  lusts,  and  have 
no  scruple  in  satisfying  their  desires  with  their  mares  and 
wild  animals  fiesh  killed. 

A  few  Flatheads  accompanied  the  Crows.  This  nation 
also  inhabits  the  Rocky  Mountains,  but  more  to  the  S. 
Their  language  is  entirely  different  from  any  others  we  have 
heard.  It  is  supposed  by  some  who  have  long  resided  in  this 
country  that  originally  the  Crows,  Big  Bellies,  Mandanes, 
Saulteurs  [Souliers],  and  Sioux  were  the  same  people,  and 
that  they  came  from  Mexico.  Of  the  difference  between  the 
languages  of  the  two  first  named  tribes  there  is  no  doubt ; 
I  am  told  that  in  the  tongues  of  the  two  next  there  is  some 


■■■  'v>\ 


4 


t,V 


,,.j,««..--,r-~**.; 


400 


MISSOURI   KIVEK  WATER. 


■    f  '} 


:  ^ 


r. 


4 


resemblance,  and  the  same  is  the  case  with  the  Sioux 
language ;  furthermore,  there  are  in  Mexico  many  original 
names  of  places  and  towns  which  are  similar  to  several 
words  in  all  the  above  languages.  The  Pawnees  must  be 
considered  a  distinct  nation  [middle  group  of  Caddoan 
family],  their  language  being  totally  different. 

We  remained  with  the  Crows  till  nearly  sunset,  when  we 
returned  to  our  quarters,  more  disgusted  with  those  rascally 
Big  Bellies  than  ever.  The  weather  was  hot  and  sultry 
during  our  stay  at  those  villages,  which  gave  us  a  perpetual 
thirst.  The  quantity  of  water  we  drank  was  astonishing ; 
at  first  we  disliked  the  looks  of  it,  and  could  scarcely  taste 
it ;  but  we  were  obliged  to  use  it,  and  soon  found  it  palata- 
ble. The  water  of  the  Missourie  is  so  impregnated  with 
earth,  as  the  rapidity  of  the  current  washes  away  the  shores 
and  turns  up  the  mud  from  the  very  bottom,  that  a  stranger 
would  scarcely  venture  to  drink  it ;  but  the  continual  use 
the  inhabitants  make  of  it  without  any  bad  consequences 
proves  it  is  not  pernicious  to  the  constitution.  In  the 
winter,  and  sometimes  in  the  fail  during  a  very  dry  season, 
when  the  water  is  not  so  terribly  thick,  it  is  not  to  the  liking 
of  the  natives,  and  they  frequently  mix  a  certain  quantity  of 
clay  with  the  water  they  drink.  In  the  spring,  vhen  the  ice 
drifts  down,  the  water  is  very  thick  and  muddy,  and  quite 
to  their  taste.  When  put  into  a  vessel  and  allowed  to  settle 
during  the  night,  in  a  two-gallon  pot  there  is  one  inch  of 
sediment,  even  at  this  season,  when  it  is  called  clear. 

/ufy  28th.  We  settled  accounts  with  our  host,  and  paid 
some  young  men  to  ferry  us  over  the  river  and  attend  our 
horses.  We  also  paid  some  women  for  preparing  provision 
for  our  homeward  journey;  this  was  principally  parched 
corn  pounded  into  flour,  mixed  with  a  small  portion  of  fat, 
and  made  up  into  balls  about  the  size  of  an  egg.  These 
may  be  eaten  as  they  are,  or  boiled  for  a  short  time ;  the 
latter  method  we  found  most  wholesome.  At  ten  o'clock 
we  were  ready  to  hid  adieu  to  the  S.  side  of  the  Missourie, 
and  glad  to  get  away  from  such  a  set  of  hypocrites.     At  the 


,'. 


SPEEDING  THE  PARTING  GUESTS. 


401 


head  of  the  gang  is  that  old  sneaking  cheat  Mons.  Jussaume, 
whose  character  is  more  despicable  than  the  worst  among 
the  natives.  While  saddling  our  horses  we  found  them  very 
troublesome,  and  they  attempted  to  steal  everything  they 
could  lay  their  hands  on ;  even  our  stirrups  tempted  them. 
They  pillaged  us  of  a  broad  girth  in  a  very  daring  manner, 
while  we  were  actually  standing  n(  ir  our  own  horses ;  it  dis- 
appeared in  a  moment  among  the  crowd  and  could  not  be 
found  again.  They  appeared  eager  also  to  have  the  two 
European  saddles  and  bridles  which  belonged  to  Mr.  Cha- 
boillez  and  myself ;  and,  had  a  favorable  opportunity  pre- 
sented, would  have  stolen  them.  But  our  landlord,  Le 
Grand,  and  his  family  were  very  attentive  in  watching  our 
property  to  prevent  it  being  stolen  ;  nor  did  their  kindness 
end  there.  He  insisted  on  crossing  me  over  the  river  him- 
self, and  with  the  assistance  of  his  young  wife  and  his  sons 
he  saw  all  my  little  baggage  safely  delivered  on  the  N.  side ; 
he  even  took  the  trouble  to  give  my  horse  into  my  own 
hands.  The  whole  family  shook  my  hand  in  a  ver/  friendly 
manner,  made  me  understand  that  if  ever  I  camo  this  way 
again  I  must  take  up  my  lodgings  in  their  hut,  and  then 
returned  to  their  village. 

At  three  o'clock  we  were  all  safely  lodged  in  Black  Cat's 
hut,  whom  we  found  as  usual  very  civil  and  complaisant, 
although  he  plainly  saw  we  had  nothing  to  pay  him  for  his 
trouble.  This  man  is  one  of  the  best  Indians  we  met  on  the 
Missourie.  We  found  what  articles  we  had  left  in  his 
charge  all  in  good  order,  and  carefully  hung  up  to  keep 
them  from  the  mice.  He  even  gave  me  his  best  horse  upon 
credit ;  payment  to  be  sent  this  fall  by  any  opportunity. 
This  was  considered  an  extraordinary  circumstance  for  a 
Mandane.  He  gave  us  several  instances  of  his  good  nature 
and  generosity  while  we  were  packing ;  every  assistance  in 
his  power  he  gave  us,  without  any  expectation  of  payment. 
Being  almost  entirely  destitute  of  tobacco  for  our  journey, 
he  gave  us  some  of  their  own  manufacture.  As  that  herb 
is  not  yet  arrived  at  maturity,  they  use  only  the  blossoms 


1 


14 


rj.A->~*».-,-aj*4wecs;:xi».' 


I'' 


I'i 


il 


t: 


» 


■I 


n 


402 


POOR  TOBACCO— UPROAR— MOSQUITOES. 


at  present.  These  are  collected  as  required,  dried  before 
the  fire  on  a  fragment  of  an  earthen  pot,  and  smoked  by  all 
the  natives.  But  I  find  the  flowers  a  >  ery  poor  substitute 
for  our  own  tobacco — a  nauseous,  in:iipid  weed.  The  ripe 
leaf  is  somewhat  better,  but  even  that  is  mere  trash,  pos- 
sessed of  neither  strength  nor  virtue. 

This  afternoon  the  Assiniboines,  old  Crane  and  his  party, 
left  on  their  return  home  to  their  camp  at  Moose  mountain, 
all  provided  with  horses,  loaded  with  corn.  Not  long  after- 
ward a  Mandane  who  was  sitting  on  his  hut  looking  out, 
as  they  usually  do,  hallooed  that  the  Assiniboines  were 
stealing  horses  belonging  to  the  white  people — which,  of 
course,  were  ours.  In  an  instant  the  village  was  in  p 
uproar;  a  number  of  armed  men  on  horseback  went  in  pur- 
suit, with  Black  Cat  at  their  head,  declaring  he  would  bring 
the  scalp  of  the  thief.  They  were  absent  about  an  hour, 
when  they  returned  and  informed  us  that  they  had  over- 
taken the  supposed  thief ;  he  proved  to  be  a  Big  Belly  who, 
a  few  days  ago,  had  a  quarrel  with  a  Mandane,  and  the 
latter,  on  leaving  the  village  of  the  former,  had  brought  off 
one  of  their  horses,  the  owner  of  which  had  sent  a  young 
man  for  Lim. 

We  had  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  during  the  night,  and  our 
worst  enemies,  the  mosquitoes,  were  more  numerous  than 
ever.  We  had  flattered  ourselves  that  the  season  for 
those  infernal  insects  was  nearly  over ;  but  they  annoyed 
us  sorely  this  evening.  We  procured  the  use  of  an  empty 
hut,  into  which  our  horses  were  put  for  the  night ;  but  long 
before  day  the  flies  so  tormented  them  that  they  broke 
down  the  barrier  at  the  door,  and  ran  off  to  the  woods. 
We  searched  for  them  in  vain ;  the  darkness,  rain,  and 
mosquitoes  soon  obliged  us  to  give  up  the  chase  and 
return  to  the  hut,  where  we  passed  the  remainder  of  the 
night  in  great  anxiety,  fearing  the  Assiniboines  might 
return  and  steal  the  horses  before  they  could  be  collected 
in  the  morning. 

July  2gtk.     Daybreak  brought  rain  and  swarms  of  mos- 


FINAL  ADIEU   TO  THE   MANDANS. 


403 


quitoes ;  however,  with  the  kind  assistance  of  our  landlord, 
who  sent  out  young  men,  we  recovered  all  our  horses. 
During  this  time  some  of  our  party  were  snoring  as  con- 
tentedly as  if  their  horses  had  been  tied  in  the  hut.  At 
ten  o'clock  the  rain  ceased  and  the  weather  cleared  up ;  we 
lost  no  time  in  saddling,  loading,  and  taking  leave  of  our 
host,  to  whom  we  gave  what  ammunition  we  could  spare, 
for  which  he  was  very  thankful,  although  it  was  a  trifle. 

We  soon  after  took  the  road,  bidding  a  final  adieu  to  the 
Mandanes.  The  road  through  the  wood  was  very  muddy 
and  bad.  We  found  amazing  quantities  of  poires,  perfectly 
ripe.  The  natives  here  are  so  surrounded  by  their  different 
enemies  at  all  seasons,  and  particularly  when  the  fruit  is 
ripe,  that  the  women  dare  not  leave  the  villages  to  gather 
it,  though  there  is  a  great  plenty  of  chokecherries,  cerises, 
etc.  Even  when  they  go  out  to  hoe  their  corn,  young 
men,  well  armed,  keep  on  the  rounds  at  short  distances 
from  the  women  to  prevent  surprise  from  an  enemy. 
This  is  a  necessary  precaution,  as  they  have  frequently 
been  attacked  while  working  in  the  fields.  The  village 
on  the  N.  side  lies  under  a  double  disadvantage,  sur- 
rounded by  thick  woods  for  nearly  two  miles  upon  the 
land  side,  and  having  close  by  a  vast  quantity  of  young 
sprouts  and  brushwood,  enabling  an  enemy  to  approach 
very  near  without  being  discovered.  A  single  Sioux  has 
been  known  to  secrete  himself  for  several  days  among  those 
bushes  until  a  favorable  opportunity  has  offered,  when  he 
has  dispatched  a  Mandane,  and  got  away  with  the  scalp. 

At  twelve  o'clock  we  came  opposite  the  upper  Big  Belly 
village,  where  we  found  Messrs.  McKenzie "  and  Caldwell 
waiting  for  us.     They  had  just  got  over,  accompanied  by  Le 

'  "  I  did  not  wish  to  leave  the  Missurie  so  soon,"  says  C.  McKenzie,  /.  c,  p. 
393,  "but  Messrs.  Chaboillez  and  Henry  pressed  me  so  that  I  left,  after  hav- 
ing disposed  of  the  rest  of  my  goods  for  some  beavers  brought  me  by  some 
Rocky  Mountain  Indians  during  the  night.  Next  morning,  I  crossed  the 
Missurie  with  six  horses  well  loaded  and  two  light  to  carry  myself  and  Mr. 
Caldwell.  I  was  not  a  little  proud  when  I  considered  that  I  was  the  first 
North  trader  who  crossed  the  Missurie  with  four  packs  of  beaver." 


i' 


404 


EXCELLENT  ADVICE  OF  HIS  EXCELLENCY. 


Borgne  and  two  of  his  wives ;  he  was  gone  himself  in  pur. 
suit  of  a  bull  on  the  adjacent  hills.  Here  we  unloaded 
and  gave  our  horses  some  time  to  feed  and  rest.  His 
Excellency  soon  arrived,  attended  by  one  of  his  young 
men  with  the  flesh  of  the  animal,  which  he  immediately 
ordered  his  women  to  cook.  When  it  was  done  according 
to  their  taste  he  presented  it  to  us;,  we  found  it  too  raw 
for  our  stomachs ;  but  tasted  it  out  of  complaisance,  after 
which  he  and  his  young  me'*,  dispatched  the  whole.  His 
women  were  very  troublesome  ;  they  fancied  everything  of 
ours  they  cast  their  eyes  on,  ^nd  were  not  very  nice  in 
asking  us  to  give  to  them  our  saddle-cloths,  blankets, 
cloaks,  And  everything  else  they  so  ardently  desired.  This 
occasioned  us  to  hasten  our  departure,  and  at  two  o'clock 
we  bid  a  last  adieu  *^o  his  Excellency.  Le  Borgne  gave  us 
a  cordial  shake  of  the  hand,  and  advised  us  to  be  upon  our 
guard,  as  the  time  was  nearly  arrived  when  the  Sioux  fre- 
quented those  parts,  as  they  could  subsist  on  berries,  the 
corn  would  soon  be  fit  to  steal  during  the  night,  and  by 
these  means  of  maintaining  themselves  they  might  lie  for 
many  days  in  wait  for  any  small  party  to  leave  the  village. 
He  told  us  by  all  means  to  make  a  long  circuit  west- 
ward, be  continually  upon  the  lookout,  and  not  allow  our- 
selves to  be  surprised  by  an  enemy,  as  we  must  expect  no 
quarter.  We  bade  him  farewell,  and  for  my  part  I  wished 
never  to  see  this  great  man  again,  or  any  of  his  clan  ;  I  was 
heartily  tired  of  them  all,  and  much  relieved  by  the  pros- 
pect of  traveling  at  my  own  free  will  and  pleasure,  no 
longer  subject  to  the  caprice  of  those  mercenary  savages. 
We  proceeded  on  our  journey  by  the  same  route  we 
came,  along  the  bank  of  the  river.  Our  party  consisted  of 
lo  men  and  25  horses,  forming  a  cavalcade  which  at  a  dis- 
tance looked  quite  respectable,  and  might  deter  an  enemy 
from  attacking  us,  unless  they  were  very  strong.  Our  real 
strength  was  slight,  having  only  three  guns  and  a  pair  of  pis- 
tols among  us  all,  and  a  scant  supply  of  ammunition.  We 
soon  came  to  the  heights  of  Snake  Lodge,  where  we  turned 


EN  ROUTE  DE  RETOUR. 


405 


lur- 
led 
His 
ung 
tely 
iing 
raw 
iftcr 
His 
igof 
:c  in 
ikets, 
This 
clock 
ve  us 
in  our 
X  fre- 
!S,  the 
nd  by 
lie  for 
rillage. 

west- 
w  our- 
ect  no 
wished 
;  I  was 
e  pros- 
jre,  no 
avages. 
ute  we 
isted  of 
tt  a  dis- 

enemy 
3ur  real 
ir  of  pis- 
)n.    We 

turned 


our  backs  to  the  Missourie,  and  directed  our  course  N., 
intending  thus  to  shorten  our  journey,  although  this  route 
was  more  dangerous  than  the  way  we  came.  At  five 
o'clock  we  camped  on  the  upper  part  of  Rivi6re  Bourbeuse 
[Miry,  now  Snake,  creek],  which  at  this  place  is  nothing 
more  than  a  rivulet,  with  a  very  good  crossing  on  a  fine 
sandy  bottom.  Here  we  found  an  immense  quantity  of 
poires ;  the  branches  were  too  heavily  loaded  to  support 
their  burdens,  and  many  were  lying  upon  the  ground.  We 
collected  a  good  stock  of  buffalo  dung  to  mak.  a  fire; 
it  was  very  damp,  and  only  emitted  a  hot  smoke,  but 
answered  our  purpose,  as  we  had  a  kettle  and  thus  cooked 
our  victuals  easily.  We  tied  our  horses  close  and  kept 
watch  during  the  night,  as  we  dreaded  the  Assiniboines, 
who  passed  this  morning  and  knew  very  well  when  we 
intended  to  set  off.  Early  in  the  evening  a  pleasant  cool 
breeze  sprang  up,  which  kept  down  the  mosquitoes  and 
gave  us  the  most  comfortable  night  since  we  left  Riviere  la 
Souris.  The  only  cause  for  anxiety  was  that  the  Assini- 
boines  might  steal  our  horses. 

July  30th.  We  had  so  many  horses  to  load  it  took  a 
long  time  before  we  could  get  ready  to  depart.  We  held 
the  same  N.  course  as  yesterday.  We  found  much  water 
in  the  plains ;  in  every  low  spot  our  horses  were  up  to  their 
bellies.  We  could  go  no  faster  than  a  walk ;  the  heavy 
burdens  of  our  horses  prevented  our  pushing  on  as  fast  as 
we  could  have  wished  ;  each  carried  upward  of  two  hundred 
weight,  excepting  those  we  rode,  which  had  each  about  50 
pounds.  The  country  is  hilly,  but  not  so  stony  as  on  the 
route  we  came ;  and  toward  the  E.  we  saw  no  stones  at  all. 
The  hills  and  their  declivities  appeared  quite  naked,  with 
here  and  there  a  bull,  grazing  unmolested. 

At  five  o'clock  we  came  to  a  small  lake  on  which  grew 
brushwood  and  poiriers  [pear  trees  literally,  but  here  mean- 
ing the  service-berry  tree,  Atnelanchier  canadensis,  or  its 
western  form,  A.  alnifolia,  whose  fruit  the  voyageurs  called 
poires,  and]  whose  branches  were  loaded  with  fruit;   the 


*  n 


.  «  .-^  *.  *•-.,.«.■.  "V-^ 


iiJH'.SFIPM!! 


^06 


ON  nit  COTEAb  NEAR  THE  DOG  DEN. 


)   I 


shore  was  a  beautiful  white  sand  and  gravel.  Here  we 
stopped  for  the  night.  I  took  a  walk  up  to  the  top  of  a 
high  hili  on  the  N.  W.  side  of  the  lake,  whence  I  could  dis- 
cern with  the  naKed  eye  the  heights  of  Loge  de  Serpent, 
not  less  than  15  leagues  distant. 

July  J I  St.  It  rained  hard  last  night,  and  continued  this 
morning  with  a  thick  fog  and  a  strong  S.  E.  wind,  which 
kept  down  the  mosquitoes.  I  had  b«!en  unwell  all  night, 
and  found  myself  no  better  this  morning.  We  sheltered 
ouriselves  as  best  we  could  from  the  rain,  and  passed  the 
day.     I  continued  unwell  <tll  day  and  night. 

Friday,  Aug.  ist.  Rain  and  fog  until  ten  o'clock,  when 
the  weather  cleared  up.  I  was  scarcely  able  to  keep  my 
seat  on  horseback.  At  eleven  o'clock  we  were  under  way, 
keeping  ou.  course  still  N.  At  three  o'clock  we  came  to 
the  ridge  of  high  land,'  which  runs  from  £.  to  W.,  and  sep- 
arates the  V  atef.'  between  the  Missourie  and  Riviere  la 
Souris.  This  ridg  adjoins  the  Dog's  House,  which  we 
could  plainly  see  about  three  leagues  eastvrard — supposed 
to  be  the  highest  hill  for  many  miles.  It  stands  nearly  due 
S.  from  the  S.  E.  bend  or  elbow  of  Riviere  la  Souris,  and 
m^y  be  seen  at  a  considerable  distance.  We  could  also 
discern  the  banks  of  that  river  to  the  N.  about  five  leagues 
distant ;  and  haJ  the  weather  been  clear,  doubtless  we 
could  have  distinguished  the  Snake's  Loc're,  which  bears  S. 
about  20  leagues.     By  what  idea  I  can  form  ^f  the  country, 

'  Henry  has  been  holding  about  N.  since  he  left  the  Missouri,  and  is  con- 
siderably E.  of  the  roundabout  route  by  which  he  reached  that  river  at  the 
mouth  of  Riviire  Bourbeuse,  or  Miry  cr.  The  "  ridge  of  high  land  "  on  which 
which  he  now  stands  is  the  Coteau  du  Missouii,  separating  the  watershed  of 
the  latter  fron?  that  of  Mouse  r.,  as  he  says.  The  Dog's  House  of  which  he 
speaks  is  that  high  hill  on  the  Mouse  river  side  of  the  Coteau,  already  noted  on 
p.  316,  q.  V.  I  And  it  clearly  displayed  on  Twining's  reconnaissance  map  No. 
IV.,  lettered  "  Dog's  Den."  The  trail  from  Fort  Stevenson  to  Fort  Totten 
(on  Devil's  I.)  passes  about  8  m.  S.  of  the  Den.  Henry  being,  as  he  sayr,  on 
the  Coteau,  3  leagues  E.  of  ihe  Dog's  House,  and  about  5  leagues  S.  of  the 
bight  of  Mouse  r.,  is  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Sabine  Spring,  from  which 
Sabine  cr.  flows  due  E.  into  Mouse  r.  This  direct  route  Henry  is  pursuing  to 
the  Assiniboinc-  is  dotted  on  Clark's  map  of  18 14. 


THUNDER   SHOWKR— BELLOWINC;    P'JLI.S. 


407 


•  wc 
>  of  a 
d  dis- 
rpent, 

d  this 
which 
night, 
sltercd 
ed  the 

:,  when 
;ep  my 
er  way, 
;ame  to 
ind  sep- 
vifere   la 
hich  we 
upposcd 
:arly  due 
uris,  and 
)uld  also 
leagues 
jtless  we 
I  bears  S. 
;  country, 

and  is  con- 
river  at  the 
»d  "  on  which 
watershed  of 
of  which  he 
sady  noted  on 
ince  map  No. 
Fort  Tolten 
as  he  sayr,  on 
^es  S.  of  the 
,  from  which 
it  pursuing  to 


this  lower  route  to  the  Missouri^  is  by  lur  more  Jangcrous 
than  that  by  which  we  went.  Our  tracic  is  now  on  the 
Sioux  frontiers,  and  should  they  fail  in  with  us,  wc  could 
expect  no  mercy,  as  they  have  never  been  knowii  to  give 
any  quarter  to  white  people  in  this  country.  Hy  the  upper 
route  there  is  nothing  to  dread  but  horses  being  stolen  by 
the  Assiniboines,  and  we  run  the  same  visk  by  this  lower 
road,  as  Indians  are  continually  going  to  and  from  the 
Missourie,  who  steal  horses  wherever  they  can.  Having 
tested,  we  pushed  forward  on  a  gradual  descent ;  our  road 
now  lay  through  a  delightful  part  of  the  country,  level,  but 
elevated,  intercepted  by  small  round  hillocks  in  the  shape 
of  sugar  loaves,  some  of  which  are  of  a  considerable  height, 
and  covered  with  herds  of  bufTalo.  We  also  had  in  view  in 
our  front,  and  upon  our  right  and  left,  several  small  rivu- 
lets, whose  banks  in  some  places  were  covered  with  stunted 
willows  and  poire  bushes,  the  bra.iches  of  which  were 
loaded  with  fruit  at  full  maturity. 

At  five  o'clock,  just  as  we  wer>*  directing  our  course 
toward  a  clump  of  small  trees  which  grew  on  one  of  those 
brooks,  we  were  overtaken  by  a  thunder  shower,  with  a 
gale  of  wind  from  the  E.  Our  baggage  and  clothing  were 
soon  soaked,  and  our  horses  turned  tail  to  the  wind,  in 
spite  of  beating  and  driving.  We  could  not  make  them 
face  the  storm ;  they  would  only  drift  with  the  wind. 
We,  therefore,  halted,  but  did  not  unload  till  the  fury  of 
the  storm  was  over,  when  we  directed  our  course  to  the 
wood,  where  we  arrived  about  dark,  everything  drenched 
and  uncomfortable.  The  bufTalo,  now  at  the  height  of 
the  rutting  season,  kept  bellowing  all  night.  During 
this  season  they  are  in  continual  motion  day  and  night, 
scarcely  allowing  themselves  time  to  feed ;  several  herds 
passed  quite  near  our  camp,  bellowing  and  tearing  up  the 
ground.  The  bulls  at  this  period  are  very  fierce ;  they 
often  turn  upon  a  man  and  pursue  him  for  some  distance. 
The  noise  of  those  animals  made  our  horses  very  uneasy. 
At  every  bellow  they  were  startled,  and  ran  toward  us  as 


V  ijj 


r 


408 


STORM-BOUND— MOUSE  RIVER  CROSSED. 


rS 


i        I 


[:'!. 


'      fr 


far  as  their  lines  would  allow.  We  were  anxious  lest  their 
fetters  might  give  way,  as,  if  any  went  astray,  it  would  not 
be  easy  to  find  them  amongst  such  numerous  herds  of 
buffalo.  We  had  some  hunters  that  did  not  mind  the  noise 
in  the  least,  except  to  prick  up  their  ears  and  appear  eager 
for  the  chase. 

Aug.  jd.  The  storm  continued,  inducing  us  to  lie  quiet 
for  the  day.  We  shot  some  buffalo  and  brought  in  plenty 
of  good  meat. 

Sunday t  Aug.  jd.  The  rain  having  ceased,  we  loaded, 
and  began  our  march.  At  ten  o'clock,  after  having 
ascended  and  descended  many  hills  and  dales,  and  crossed 
threr  small  rivulets,  we  came  to  Rivi6re  la  Souris,  which 
runs  here  from  E.  to  W.;  *  the  water  was  very  high.  We 
waded  through  up  to  the  armpits,  carrying  our  baggage  on 
our  heads,  at  the  shallowest  place  we  could  find.  Having 
got  everything  over  by  repeated  trips,  we  untied  and  spread 
out  our  baggage  to  dry,  which  kept  us  here  until  late  in  the 
afternoon.  The  place  where  we  forded  the  river  is  about 
10  leagues  lower  down  than  where  we  crossed  it  in  going 
to  the  Missourie  ;  it  is  pleasantly  lined  with  large  wood  of 
almost  every  kind  this  part  of  the  country  produces ;  and 
is  well  stocked  with  large  game,  which  renders  it  a  delight- 
ful situation  for  a  savag:  nation.  Beaver  formerly  were 
plenty  also,  but  they  are  getting  very  scarce;  a  few 
vestiges  only  are  to  be  seen.  The  proximity  to  the  Sioux 
country  will  for  many  years  keep  this  place  stocked  with 
animals,  as  the  Assiniboines  and  Crees  dare  not  camp  here 
during  the  summer  and  remain  but  a  short  time  in  winter. 

At  four  o'clock  we  had  loaded  our  horses  and  were 
ascending  the  banks ;  and  having  got  to  the  plains  we 
directed  our  course  N.  E.     We  pushed  on  as  fast  as  pos- 

*  A  miitake,  if  Henry  means  anything  more  than  an  east-west  course  of  the 
river,  without  regard  to  its  flow.  The  water  is  here  running  from  W.  to  E. 
(approximately),  before  turning  gradually  northward.  Places  in  the  vicinity  are 
now  called  Mouse  River,  Echo,  and  Pendroy.  Henry  is  nearest  the  first  of 
these. 


STAMPEDE— INUNDATION— OROSSE  BUTTE. 


409 


heir 
not 
I  of 
koise 
ager 

quiet 
lenty 

aded, 

aving 

ossed 

which 
We 

ige  on 

[aving 

spread 
in  the 
about 
going 

ood  of 

s;  and 

lelight. 

y  were 

a  few 

Sioux 

d  with 

np  here 
winter. 

id  were 

ains  we 
as  pos- 

irie  of  the 

W.  to  E. 

vicinity  are 

the  6r»t  of 


tible  until  dark,  when  we  stopped  for  the  night,  and  formed 
an  entrenchment  with  our  baggage  to  prevent  the  buffalo 
and  horses  from  running  over  us.  The  buffalo  dung  being 
too  damp  to  take  fire,  we  remained  in  the  dark,  every 
moment  in  dread  of  being  trampled.  About  midnight  a 
large  herd  of  buffalo  passed  so  near  some  of  our  horses  as 
to  make  them  break  their  cords,  and  away  they  went ;  but 
fortunately  their  legs  were  tied.  We  pursued  them,  but  to 
no  purpose  ;  the  night  was  too  dark. 

Aug.  4th.  At  daybreak  we  were  on  the  lookout  for 
our  horses,  and  found  they  had  returned  to  their  comrades 
that  were  tied  near  us.  We  lost  no  time  in  loading,  during 
which  several  old  bulls  stood  at  a  short  distance  to  wind- 
ward, staring  at  us  with  as  much  unconcern  as  if  they  were 
common  cattle.  We  took  our  course  rorth,  and  soon  found 
an  astonishing  quantity  of  water,  which  overlaid  the  plains 
more  extensively  than  we  had  before  seen  since  the  com- 
mencement of  our  journey.  Buffalo  continued  to  appear 
in  every  direction  around  us.  At  twelve  o'clock  we  came 
to  the  Grosse  Butte,*  which  seemed  to  be  their  termination 
northward,  as  we  saw  only  a  few  straggling  bulls  ahead 
of  us.  From  the  summit  of  these  hills  we  could  discern 
Turtle  mountain  like  a  low,  blue  cloud  due  N.  from  us,  dis- 
tant about  20  leagues.  The  hills  are  partially  covered  with 
short  grass ;  the  greater  part  being  a  barren,  white  sand, 
particularly  on  the  S.  side,  where  there  is  no  verdure  what- 
ever. Upon  the  N.  side,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  is  a  beau- 
tiful lake  about  three  leagues  in  circumference,  with  a 
beach  of  white  gravel  and  sand.  At  the  S.  end,  adjoining 
the  foot  of  the  hill,  is  a  delightful  little  wood,  which  runs 

*  After  crossing  Mouse  r.  from  8.  to  N.,  Henry  took  first  a  N.  E.  and  then 
a  N.  course,  in  McHenry  Co.  As  this  river  is  running  northeastward  and  then 
northward,  he  is  W.  of  it,  and  has  it  on  his  right  hand,  at  no  great  distance. 
But  as  he  has  given  no  distances  on  these  courses,  identification  of  his  (irosse 
Rutte  can  only  be  conjectured.  Two  of  the  most  conspicuous  and  isolated  ele- 
vations in  the  region  are  now  known  as  White  Rock  hill  and  Little  Medicine 
Lodge.  The  latter  is  10  or  la  m.  N.  E.  of  the  former,  which  I  am  inclined 
to  think  may  be  his  Grosse  Butte. 


t 


\ 


i 


410 


DELIGHTFUL  SPOT— MARCH   RESUMED. 


i'l'l 


;■  ! 


about  three  acres  up  the  hill,  and  for  the  same  distance 
along  the  lake.  This  is  a  great  resort  for  buffalo  and  other 
animals,  to  shade  themselves  from  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
and  may  serve  as  a  shelter  from  storms  in  winter.  The 
state  of  the  ground  in  this  little  wood  shows  there  are 
always  animals  in  it ;  for  the  grass  does  not  grow,  and  the 
bark  of  the  trees,  to  the  height  of  an  animal,  is  worn 
perfectly  smooth  by  their  continual  rubbing.  The  pros- 
pect  from  the  top  of  this  hill  is  very  pleasant;  to  the 
N.  lies  an  extensive  plain,  bounded  by  a  ridge  that  runs 
E.  and  W.,  over  which  Turtle  mountain  appears.  On  the 
left  the  country  is  one  level  plain,  with  many  small  lakes 
about  which  numerous  herds  of  buffalo  feed.  On  the  right, 
the  plain  is  also  level  for  about  three  leagues,  where  it 
rises  into  many  high,  sandy  hills;*  stunted  willows  and 
poplars  grow  in  the  valleys,  but  the  barren  summits  display 
only  white  sand.  In  this  direction  saw  no  buffalo,  but 
numerous  herds  of  cabbrie  supplied  that  deficiency. 
Southward  stretched  an  extensive  plain,  with  many  small 
lakes,  and  buffalo  moving  in  every  direction  ;  the  view  was 
only  bounded  by  the  small  rising  grounds  we  started  from 
this  morning.  Upon  the  whole  I  found  this  the  most 
delightful  spot  I  recollect  to  have  seen  in  any  part  of  the 
meadow  country.  We  determined  to  enjoy  it  for  a  short 
time ;  so  we  unloaded  our  horses,  and  having  killed  a  good 
fat  cow,  our  fire  was  soon  smoking  with  as  many  fine 
appalats  as  we  could  crowd  upon  it. 

At  noon  we  loaded  and  began  our  march,  but  soon  found 
the  increasing  depth  of  water  upon  the  plains  a  great 
inconvenience ;  it  was  often  up  to  our  horses'  bellies,  and 

*  A  long  range  of  sand  hills,  interspersed  with  groves  of  poplars,  bounds 
Mouse  r.  for  many  miles  on  the  right  or  E. ,  at  the  apparent  distance  given  by 
Henry,  whose  position  may  now  be  fixed  with  some  confidence,  in  the  clost 
vicinity  of  the  village  of  Lane,  or  Carder.  This  is  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
river,  lo  m.  N.  of  the  tovrn  of  Towner.  At  the  latter  point  the  Great  North- 
em  Ry.  crosses  Mouse  r.  for  the  second  time  from  the  W.,  having  crossed  the 
other  loop  of  the  same  river  at  Minot.  Henry  is  thus  about  lo  m.  N.  of 
the  railroad,  and  nearly  up  to  lat.  48°  30'  N.,  in  McHenry  Co. 


:  t 


HORSES  LOST— MOUSE  RIVER  AT  WOOD  END.       411 


^  fine 

found 

great 

les,  and 


commonly  knee-deep,  excepting  on  the  rising  grounds. 
This  made  our  progress  very  slow  and  tedious.  At  six 
o'clock  we  stopped  for  the  night  upon  a  small  rising 
ground,  having  the  banks  and  wood  of  Riviere  la  Souris  in 
sight,  about  two  leagues  ahead  of  us.^  The  buffalo  dung 
was  too  damp  to  burn,  the  weather  was  sultry,  with  an 
appearance  of  rain,  and  mosquitoes  so  troublesome  that 
our  horses  could  not  feed.  We  fettered  and  tied  them 
with  cords  as  usual ;  but  eight  of  them  broke  their  cords 
and  ran  off  with  their  fore  feet  still  fettered.  We  passed  a 
very  disagreeable  night. 

Aug.  5M.  No  sign  of  our  eight  horses.  Some  of  us  re- 
mained to  take  care  of  the  property  whilst  others  went  to 
search  for  them ;  but  all  in  vain.  Night  brought  no  news 
of  our  strayed  horses. 

Aug.  6th.  At  daybreak  seven  of  our  party  started  on 
horseback  in  different  directions,  whilst  I  remained  with 
two  men  to  convey  our  baggage  to  Riviere  la  Souris,  by  put- 
ting extra  loads  upon  our  remaining  horses  and  making  two 
trips.  Having  come  to  the  river  we  found  the  water  extra- 
ordinarily high  ;  and,  the  land  being  low  for  some  distance 
from  the  river,  the  water  had  soaked  it  to  such  a  degree  as 
to  make  miry  places,  which  our  horses  could  scarcely  get 
through  with  their  heavy  loads.  The  banks,  which  here 
and  for  many  leagues  below  are  nearly  on  a  level  with  the 
water  at  its  usual  height,  were  entirely  overflowed,  so  that 
we  could  hardly  get  to  the  wood  or  find  any  convenient 
crossing.  After  wading  through  water,  and  getting  our 
horses  several  times  fast  in  the  mire,  we  at  last  passed  over 
the  W.  extremity  of  the  sandy  ridge,  which  borders  the 
river  and  runs  parallel  with  it  almost  to  the  S.  E.  bend  op- 
posite the  Dog's  House.  We  fell  upon  the  river  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  wood,  a  few  miles  below  Rivifere  aux 
Saules;*  its  course  here  is  from  E.  to  W.     Here  we  em- 

'' Mouse  r.  having  curved  from  N.  to  N.  W.,  it  is  "ahead  "of  them  as 
they  go  N.,  having  before  been  on  their  right  hand. 
'Now  known  as  Willow  cr.,  translating  the  French  name  in  the  text.     It 


412 


MOUSE   RIVER   RECROSSED. 


V 


ployed  the  remainder  of  the  day  making  a  raft  and  crossing 
our  baggage,  which  was  done  by  means  of  two  long  lines — 
one  tied  to  each  end  of  the  raft.  With  one  end  of  a  line  in 
my  mouth,  I  swam  the  river,  hauling  the  loadv^d  raft  over, 
and  unloaded  it,  when  my  companion  on  the  opposite  side 
would  draw  it  back.  In  this  manner  everything  was  got 
over  safe,  and  soon  after  six  o'clock  our  party  returned, 
having  seen  no  sign  of  our  strayed  horses.  This  evening 
was  gloomy  and  silent ;  several  of  our  party  peevishly 
lamented  their  loss ;  some  were  so  much  cast  down  as  to 
lose  their  appetite,  and  went  to  sleep  in  a  very  surly  mood. 
At  nine  o'clock  it  began  to  rain  and  continued  all  night. 
Mosquitoes  as  usual. 

Aug.  yth.  We  were  up  early,  preparing  for  departure  in 
sullen  silence.  Those  who  had  lost  their  horses  had  bag- 
gage to  carry,  and  they  did  not  relish  the  idea  of  wading 
through  the  water.  Many  were  the  "  laches  "  and  "  sacres  " 
uttered  in  vain.  At  seven  o'clock  we  set  off,  having  dis- 
tributed the  loads  of  the  eight  horses  upon  the  remaining 
17;  five  of  our  people  were  obliged  to  go  afoot,  much 
against  their  inclination.  Soon  after  leaving  camp  three  of 
them  got  into  such  a  pet  that  they  sheared  off  toward  Turtle 
mountain.  We  soon  lost  sight  of  them,  and  saw  them  no 
more  this  day.  We  followed  down  the  river,  which  is  here 
destitute  of  wood,  and  so  continues  until  it  receives  the  two 
little  rivers  of  Tdte  k  la  Biche  [North  and  South  Antler 
creeks].  The  water  being  very  high,  the  current  flowed 
gently  on  a  level  with  the  plains.  It  soon  divided  into  sev- 
eral branches,  which  in  turn  spread  into  several  small  lakes 


falls  into  Mouse  r.  on  the  N.  and  from  the  E.,  in  a  locality  some  time  known 
as  Wood  End,  from  the  fact  expressed  in  the  name,  and  alluded  to  by  Henry. 
A  few  miles  up  this  creek  is  a  place  called  Wines,  and  a  short  distance  above 
its  mouth,  on  the  N.  side  of  Mouse  r.,  is  the  town  of  Oakland,  6  or  8  m.  N.  W. 
of  Carder.  A  short  distance  below  Willow  cr.,  the  comparatively  large  stream 
known  as  Cut  Bank  cr.  falls  into  Mouse  r.  on  the  opp.  side,  from  the  W. 
Henry  crosses  the  river  between  the  mouths  of  these  two  creeks,  from  S.  to  N., 
and  will  proceed  N.  W.  down  the  right  bank.  Compare  note  *',  p.  310,  and 
note  ",  p.  311. 


V  fi 


TURTLE  MOUNTAIN. 


413 


surrounded  with  rushes,  reeds,  and  tall  grass ;  no  wood,  not 
even  willows,  was  to  be  seen.  At  eleven  o'clock  we  halted, 
after  some  difficulty  in  getting  across  small  rivulets  which 
fall  into  the  river  from  the  E.*  At  one  o'clock  we  were 
again  on  our  march,  leaving  the  river  to  our  left,  and  direct- 
ing our  course  N.  E.  toward  the  head  or  W.  end  of  Turtle 
mountain."  Night  came  on  before  we  could  reach  it,  which 
obliged  us  once  more  to  stop  in  the  open  plain  ;  but  being 
on  a  rising  groi-.nd  the  buffalo  dung  was  tolerably  dry,  and 
we  made  shift  to  keep  up  a  smudge  to  drive  off  the  swarms 
of  mosquitoes. 

Au£^.  8th.  We  were  off  early,  and  pushed  on  with  speed. 
At  eleven  o'clock  we  came  to  the  head  of  Turtle  mountain, 
where  we  found  the  vestiges  of  several  Assiniboine  camps, 
one  only  a  few  days  old ;  had  we  fallen  in  with  them,  our 
horses  might  have  been  all  stolen.  We  halted  on  the  brow 
of  the  mountain,  which  appeared  to  be  a  very  eligible  and 
convenient  summer  residence  for  the  Assiniboines  and 
Crees,  judging  from  the  number  of  old  and  new  vestiges  of 
camps  we  saw.  It  began  to  rain.  I  was  determined  to 
proceed,  let  the  weather  be  ever  so  bad,  but  some  of  our 
party  thought  proper  to  shelter  themselves  from  the  wet 
and  stop  for  the  night.  At  one  o'clock  some  of  us  loaded 
and  pushed  on,  carrying  our  baggage.    We  soon  carne  to 


'];■ 


'■  i^m 


% 


*  That  is,  from  the  western  slopes  of  Turtle  mt.  There  are  several  (not  in- 
cluding the  two  Henry  calls  Tete  &  la  Biche).  One  of  the  largest  is  now  known 
as  Boundary  cr.,  as  it  comes  down  in  Bottineau  Co.  from  the  parallel  of  49^  N. 
I  was  near  the  head  of  this  stream  in  the  summer  of  1873,  in  the  western  foot- 
hills of  Turtle  mt.,  whence  the  distance  due  W.  to  the  point  where  Mouse  r. 
crosses  49°  for  the  fourth  and  last  time  is  ao  m.  In  judging  of  courses  by  com- 
pass-points in  this  locality,  allowance  must  be  made  for  a  magnetic  variation  of 
17°  E.  The  longitude  of  the  station  here  alluded  to  is  100"  30'  W.;  and 
Mouse  r.  finally  passes  from  the  United  States  a  little  short  of  loi". 

"  Turtle  mt.  is  so  called  from  its  general  shape,  which  is  oval,  like  the  cara- 
pace of  a  turtle,  viewed  from  on  top.  Its  westernmost  end  forms  a  consider- 
able and  well-marked  projection  from  tht  general  oval  contour,  which  repre- 
sents the  head  of  the  turtle;  this  is  what  Henry  means  by  the  phrase.  To  reach 
this  point  he  crosses  49^  N.,  past  the  station  mentioned  in  the  last  note,  and  is 
thus  in  British  America  (Manitoba). 


!iSl! 


y. 


414 


THIRD  CROSSING  OF  MOUSE  RIVER. 


r 


:  / 


small  rivulets  that  issue  out  of  the  mountain  and  empty 
into  a  lake,"  that  is  situated  in  the  plain  about  three  leagues 
N.  N.  W.  from  the  head  of  the  mountain.  This  lake  is  five 
miles  long,  and  half  a  mile  wide ;  in  the  middle  stand  two 
islands.  We  directed  our  course  along  the  lake,  which  runs 
about  N.  N.  E.,  found  a  great  quantity  of  water,  and  had 
some  trouble  in  fording  the  rivulets.  At  sunset  we  stopped 
near  one  of  those  banks,  which  were  well  supplied  with  ex- 
cellent red  cherries  or  cerises,  of  the  largest  kind  I  ever  saw 
in  this  country,  and  delicious  flavor. 

Au£^,  gth.  .  For  the  first  time  on  this  journey  we  were  fav- 
ored with  a  keen  air  from  the  N.  W.,  which  kept  the  mos- 
quitoes down,  and  allowed  us  to  saddle  and  load  our  horses 
quietly ;  indeed  we  were  obliged  to  keep  up  a  good  fire  to 
warm  ourselves  before  mounting.  Wrapping  our  cloaks  and 
blankets  round  us,  we  set  ofT  before  sunrise,  shivering  with 
cold.  Soon  after  leaving  our  camp  we  mired  our  horses  in 
attempting  to  pass  too  near  the  N.  extremity  of  the  lake  ; 
we  had  some  trouble  and  difficulty  in  getting  them  out, 
which  being  done  we  made  a  long  circuit  eastward  to  clear 
this  ugly  marsh,  by  going  to  the  rising  grounds,  where  we 
crossed  the  last  rivulet  which  runs  from  the  mountain  into 
the  lake.  It  was  deep  and  bad  crossing,  with  a  strong  cur- 
rent. We  then  came  to  more  hilly  country  with  a  dry  soil, 
and  took  what  is  called  the  Grande  Traverse  of  Turtle  moun- 
tain, directing  our  course  N.  At  three  o'clock,  having  forced 
our  horses  very  much,  we  came  to  Rivifere  la  Souris,  which 
here  runs  from  W.  to  E.,  and  is  very  rapid.  We  crossed  at 
the  Grand  Passage  ;"  a  few  miles  below  this  place  it  forms 


\\ 


"Whitewater  1.,  also  called  White  1.,  mention  of  which  fixes  Henry's  course 
and  position  with  precision.  Yesterday  he  left  Mouse  r.  a  short  distance  above 
Boundary  cr.,  and  proceeded  N.  E.,  approx.  parallel  with  the  course  of  this 
creek,  and  camped  on  rising  ground  toward  the  head  of  Turtle  mt.  This  morn- 
ing he  skirted  the  mountain  and  reached  the  site  of  Deloraine,  on  the  Pembina 
branch  of  the  C.  P.  Ry.  He  continues  along  the  line  of  the  railroad,  S.  of  the 
lake,  having  trouble  with  several  rivulets  or  coul^s  that  make  down  from  the 
mountain,  and  camps  near  the  N.  E.  end  of  the  lake,  beyond  Whitewater  sta. 

"  This  third  crossing  of  Mouse  r.  may  puzzle  some  who  do  not  understand 


(1 


\\ 


i 


THE  ASSINIBOINE   RIVER  HOUSE. 


415 


a  considerable  bend  at  which  it  receives  the  waters  of  one 
of  the  Piacotte  [Rib  Bone]  lakes,  and  then  courses  about 
E.  [nearer  N.  E.]  into  the  Assiniboine.  Having  got  safely 
over,  we  unloaded  and  gave  our  horses  some  time  to  rest, 
while  we  cooked  a  kettle  of  pounded  corn,  and  at  five 
o'clock  were  again  on  the  march.  The  Moose  Head  was  in 
sight,  and  we  soon  saw  the  woods  of  the  Assiniboine. 
Night  came  on  while  we  were  still  at  a  distance  from  it ;  but 
having  a  beaten  path,  to  which  my  horse  was  accustomed, 
I  gave  him  the  loose  rein,  being  determined  to  get  in.  We 
drove  on  hard  in  the  dark,  and  the  first  object  that  struck 
my  attention  was  the  block-house  of  the  fort,  close  under 
which  my  horse  was  pressing.  The  gate  was  instantly 
opened,  and  we  entered  at  half-past  eleven. 

Here  we  found  those  peevish  fellow-travelers,  who  had 
arrived  before  us,  having  walked  day  and  night  and  fallen 
upon  Riviere  la  Souris  at  Plumb  river.  One  of  them,  how- 
ever, was  so  completely  knocked  up  that  he  remained  at 
the  Moose  Head,  and  Mr.  La  Rocque  was  obliged  to  send  a 
man  with  a  horse  to  bring  him  in  ;  he  had  arrived  just  be- 
fore me,  scarcely  able  to  crawl.  We  also  found  here  a 
troublesome  set  of  Indians,  all  drinking.    A  wash,  shave, 

the  remarkable  course  of  the  stream  ;  but  any  good  map  will  put  them  "  onto 
its  curves,"  as  the  saying  goes  in  baseball.  In  coming  on  his  general  N.  course, 
Henry  passed  it :  (i)  At  its  bight  or  elbow  nearest  the  Missouri,  where  he 
went  from  its  right  to  its  left  bank,  as  it  was  flowing  E.  (2)  At  Wood  End, 
where  he  went  from  its  left  to  its  right  bank,  as  it  was  flowing  W.  (3)  In  the 
present  place,  where  he  went  from  its  right  to  its  left  bank,  as  it  was  flowing 
E.  The  river  v/as  thus  first  ahead  of  him  ;  next  on  his  right,  then  ahead  of 
him  again  ;  next  on  his  left ;  flfth,  ahead  of  him  ;  and  after  the  third  crossing, 
he  finally  leaves  it  behind  and  off  to  the  right.  The  present  road  from  White- 
water 1.  to  Mouse  r.  runs  N.  E.  through  places  called  Nimitaw,  Haviland, 
Alceste,  and  Margaret ;  this  is  not  far  from  Henry's  route,  but  he  seems  to  have 
held  more  nearly  N.,  in  the  line  of  Abigail,  Dunallun,  and  Heaslip,  as  he  says 
he  struck  the  river  "a  few  miles"  above  the  point  where  it  receives  the 
discharge  of  some  of  the  Piacotte  or  Rib  Bone  lakes ;  for  these,  see  note  ', 
p.  81.  Their  drainage  is  mostly  eastward,  from  Turtle  and  Pembina  mts.;  but 
W.  of  the  largest  one  (Pelican  1.)  are  some  small  ones  which  discharge  the 
other  way,  into  Mouse  r.,  at  the  sharp  elbow  it  makes  in  Tp.  6,  R.  xviii,  W.  of 
the  princ.  meriJ. ;  vicinity  of  Margaret  and  Langvale. 


II 


%  ' 


t 


'111". 


Ill 


W 


M 


4i6 


MISERABLE  COI'DITION   OF  THIS  FOST. 


il 


r 


> 


and  change  of  linen  was  very  acceptable,  as  I  had  worn 
the  same  shirt  since  leaving  Panbian  river,  and  it  was  not 
entirely  free  from  vermin,  notwithstanding  daily  efforts  to 
destroy  them.  I  went  to  sleep  in  clean  blankets  on  a  soft 
feather  bed,  and  only  thosr  who  have  experienced  like 
hardships  can  form  any  idea  of  my  delightful  repose. 

Sunday,  Aug.  loth.  A  curious  circumstance  occurred 
last  night.  One  of  the  Indians  had  sold  a  horse,  and  when 
we  arrived  was  about  to  return  to  his  camp  with  the  pay- 
ment. During  the  bustle  and  confusion  of  unloading  our 
horses  and  storing  the  property  this  fellow  slipped  into  the 
yard  with  his  comrades,  whose  horses  were  tied  near  ours, 
and  in  saddling  theirs  did  the  same  with  one  of  ours  that 
had  just  arrived.  The  gates  being  locked  one  of  them  went 
to  the  Assiniboine  interpreter  Desmarais,  and  desired  him  to 
open  the  gate.  This  he  did ;  the  fellow  rode  away  -nno- 
ticed  with  his  comrades,  whooping  and  hallooing,  still  lialf 
drunk,  and  the  theft  was  not  discovered  till  this  morning. 

This  establishment  is  now  in  a  miserable  condition  ;  they 
have  neither  flesh  nor  fish — nothing  but  some  old  musty 
beat  meat,  and  no  grease.  They  have  had  but  14  animals, 
including  cabbrie,  since  the  departure  of  the  canoes  in  May 
last,  and  a  few  bags  of  pemmican — a  mere  trifle  for  so  many 
mouths  -say  3  clerks,  i  interpreter,  3  laboring  men,  and  47 
women  and  children,  or  54  people  entitled  to  regular  rations. 
The  men  are  now  employed  in  making  hay  for  the  winter 
for  such  horses  o«=  are  stabled  to  do  the  necessary  work  at 
the  fort,  hauling  firewood,  etc.  But  the  great  quantity  of 
water  in  the  meadows  renders  their  progress  slow  and 
tedious.  They  have  to  mow  knee-deep  in  the  water,  whilst 
another  man  follows  with  a  cart  and  carries  the  grass  to  the 
high  grounds,  where  it  is  spread  out  to  dry.  There  has 
been  no  trade  whatever  this  summer.  The  Indians  are 
starving  all  over  the  country,  no  buffalo  being  found  within 
their  limits.  There  are  a  few  freemen  about  this  place,  who 
have  actually  disposed  of  their  women  and  clothing  to  the 
H.  B.  Co.'s  people  in  barter  for  beat  meat.     The  remainder 


W 


ROUTE   RESUMED— CYPRESS   RIVER   RAFTED.        417 

of  our  party,  whom  I  had  left  at  Turtle  mountain,  arrived 
this  afternoon. 

Aug.  tith.     At  daybreak  I  was  up  preparing  for  my 
departure,  having  sent  T.  Veaudrie  [Vaudry]  to  Portage  la 
Prairie  and  kept  Ducharme  to  attend  me.     I  determined  to 
return  home  by  the  route  of  the  Hair  hills,  this  being  much 
shorter  than  by  way  of  Portage  la  Prairie.     Mr.  Chaboillez 
and  his  party  would  not  set  off  until  the   14th  or  15th, 
having  no  horses  to  carry  the  baggage  to  Fort  Dauphin. 
At  sunrise  I  bade  him  adieu  and  mounted,  directing  my 
course  E.  S.  E.    At  seven  o'clock  we  crossed  Kivifere  ia 
Souris  for  the  last  time,  near  the  sturgeon  barrier,  upon  a 
shoal  of  gravel  and  sand  in  water  only  knee  deep — the  best 
crossing-place   I    had   seen   in  all  my  journey.    We  now 
passed  on  through  sandy  hills  to  the  level  plain,  where  we 
came  in  sight  of  the   Hair  hills.    At  eleven  o'clock  we 
stopped  to  refresh  our  horses,  and  at  one  o'clock  we  again 
set  off.     We  took  the  traverse  for  the  mountain,  but  on 
coming  to  Cypress  river  "  found  it  had  overflowed  its  banks 
about  three  acres  on  each  side,  and  could  And  no  fordable 
place.     Wc  were  obliged  to  turn  out  of  our  way  some  miles 
in  going  to  where  we  perceived  a  large  dry  poplar  tree  and 
a  few  stunted  willows,  but  there  we  had  the  mortification  to 
find  that  the  wood  stood  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 
There  being  no  alternative,  we  unloaded  our  horses  and 
stripped.     I  crossed  over,  collected  what  brush  I  could  find, 
and  with  the  poplar  formed  a  raft  so  very  slight  as  to 
carry  scarcely  more  than  50  pounds'  weight.    The  mosqui- 
toes were  intolerable,  and  as  we  were  obliged  to  remain 
naked  for  about  four  hours,  we  suffered  mere  than  I  can 
describe.     The  f^rass  on  each  side  was  too  high  to  haul  our 
raft  through  to  dry  land ;  we  could  use  it  only  on  the  river 
by  means  of  tvo  long  cords,  one  fastened  to  each  end. 
Ducharme  hauled  it  over  to  his  side,  and  after  making  it 

'*  Present  name  ;  a  small  tributary  of  the  Assiniboine  which  drains  from  the 
Pembina  mts.  northward.  It  is  crossed  by  the  C.  P.  Ry.  at  ^\  station  of  the 
same  name. 


i:\ 


r' 


t 


V 


V 


■J 


t 


418        BLUE   MONDAY— CYPRESS   RIVER  RECROSSED. 

fast  he  went  to  dry  land  for  a  load  in  water  up  to  his  arm* 
pits,  whilst  I  waited  with  my  whole  body  immersed  until 
he  brought  down  a  load  and  laid  it  upon  the  raft  with  great 
precautions,  as  it  was  in  danger  of  upsetting  from  the 
strength  of  the  current.  I  then  hauled  it  over,  made  fast,  and 
carried  the  load  to  dry  land  upon  my  head.  Every  time  I 
landed  the  mosquitoes  plagued  me  insufferably ;  and  still 
worse,  the  horse  I  had  crossed  over  upon  was  so  tormented 
Ihat  '<  brc  ce  his  fetters  and  ran  away.  I  was  under  th^ 
cruel  r  'ceusity  of  pursuing  him  on  the  plains  entirely  naked ; 
f>.>rt:wn  iv  ty  I  caught  him  and  brought  him  oack.  I  suffered 
a  gc>od  dc  .  'rom  the  sharp-pointed  grass  pricking  my  bare 
feet,  and  mosquito  bites  covered  my  body.  The  sun  was 
set  before  we  finished  our  transportation.  The  water  in  this 
river  is  always  excessively  cold,  and  by  the  time  we  got  all 
over  our  bodies  were  as  blue  as  indigo ;  we  were  shivering 
like  aspen  leaves,  and  our  legs  were  cut  and  chafed  by  the 
coarse  stiff  grass.  We  shot  an  old  swan  and  caught  two 
young  ones  that  could  not  fly ;  this  made  us  a  comfortable 
supper.  We  stopped  iiere  for  the  night,  much  fatigued  and 
harassed. 

Au£:  1 2th.  At  the  break  of  day  we  were  on  our  journey. 
At  eight  o'clock  we  came  to  the  entrance  of  the  Hair  hil's, 
and  on  ascending  the  first  ridge  fell  upon  an  old  Indian 
path,  which  we  followed,  almost  due  E.  At  ten  o'clock  we 
once  more  crossed  Cypress  river,  and  came  to  the  old  win- 
tering houses  of  1801-02,  at  the  White  Mud.  At  eleven 
o'clock  we  stopped  to  feed  our  horses  for  an  hour.  The 
mountain  road  was  bad  ;  every  low  spot  was  a  mire,  through 
which  our  horses  could  scarcely  make  their  way.  We 
crossed  two  small  rivulets,'*  which  fall  into  Panbian  river, 

'^  Traveling  about  S.  E.  to-day,  Henry  cresses  Cypress  r.  higher  up  than 
before,  somewhere  between  tlie  places  called  St.  Alphonse  and  Norquay  ; 
passes  by  the  present  Swan  Lake  Indian  reserve,  which  the  N.  P.  and  Man. 
R.  B.  traverses,  N.  of  Swan  1.;  crosses  two  rivulets  running  S.  W.  into  Pem- 
bina r. ,  one  of  them  that  on  which  is  situated  a  place  called  Kingsley  ;  and 
camps  on  a  third  rivulet  in  the  vicinity  of  La  Riviire  sta.  of  the  Pembina 
branch  of  the  C.  P.  Ry. ,  not  far  from  where  the  railroad  crosses  Pembina  r. 


ii: 


XfeTE  DE   BCEUF— THE  PINANCEWAYWINING.         419 

which  runs  about  three  miles  upon  our  right  hand.  We 
crossed  another  small  river,  on  the  banks  of  which  we  put 
up  for  the  night,  near  the  grave  of  Summer  Bird,  an  Indian 
who  died  here  two  years  ago. 

Aug.  ijth.  At  daybreak  we  were  on  horseback ;  our 
road  still  worse  than  yesterday's,  being  marshy  for  several 
leagues,  until  we  came  to  the  Tfite  de  Boeuf,"  where  we 
arrived  at  ten  o'clock  and  unloaded.  This  appears  to  be  the 
highest  land  of  this  mountain.  From  this  elevated  station 
the  prospect  is  extensive  in  every  direction  excepting  on 
the  N.,  where  the  strong  wood  is  near  at  hand.  In  other 
directions  the  land  appears  to  fall  on  all  sides  for  a  consid- 
erable distance.  There  is  a  small  lake,  about  half  a  mile 
in  circumference,  at  the  S.  end  of  whic'  si  ;ds  a  small 
hillock  in  the  shape  of  a  bee-hive.  On  t'lc  to  of  this  the 
Ass'niboines  and  Crees  are  very  parti<  u  r  tc  make  sacri- 
fices of  tobacco  and  other  trifles,  and  >  :o.i.ct  also  a  cer- 
tain number  cf  bull's  heads,  which  Ihey  danb  over  with 
red  earth,  and  deposit  on  the  sum-  '<*,  the  nose  always 
pointing  to  the  E.  Our  course  was  E  ,  t  :e  same  as  yester- 
day. At  noon  we  were  off,  directing  our  course  S.  E., 
through  Prairie  de  la  Tete  de  Boeuf.  The  road  was  tolerably 
firm  and  dry,  as  the  plains  are  elevated,  and  the  soil  sandy, 
mixed  with  stones.  We  soon  crossed  Pinancewavwining 
river,  having  the  water  up  to  our  saddles,  and  ff'  pon  a 
well-beaten  road,  which,  I  suppose,  had  been  m^  jy  the 
camp  of  Saulteurs  I  had  seen  at  Riviere  aux  Gratias.  As- 
tonishing quantities  of  raspberries  grow  almost  everywhere 
on  the  mountain,  and  in  particular  about  this  place ;  the 
bushes  were  bending  with  their  delicious  burden.  Poires 
and  cherries  have  also  been  plentiful,  but  the  Indians  have 
destroyed  them  all.     At  six  o'clock   we  came   upon  the 

"Already  mentioned  in  this  work  as  Buffalo  Head  or  Bull's  Head,  now 
called  Calf  mt.  The  railroad  last  mentioned  skirts  its  N.  base  :  sta.  Darling- 
ford,  between  Manitou  and  Thornhill.  This  notable  landmark  is  on  the  E. 
escarpment  of  the  Pembina  mts.,  in  the  S.  W.  comer  of  Tp.  3,  R.  7,  W.  of  the 
princ.  merid.,  in  an  air-line  7  m.  N.  of  Pembina  r.,  and  14  m.  N.  of  lat.  49". 


1        ' 

li 


d 


M 


430 


PLEASANT  PROSPECT   FROM   HAIR   HILLS. 


r 


li 


brow  of  the  mountain  and  in  full  view  of  the  plains  of  Red 
river,  which  appear  to  the  eastward  below  us;  here  we 
stopped  for  the  night,  near  a  small  brook  of  clear  water. 

We  had  a  delightful  prospect ;  the  weather  was  clear ; 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  nothing  offered  to  obstruct 
the  view  ;  it  was  one  smooth,  level  plain,  without  the  least 
hillock  or  rising  ground.  Upon  our  right  lay  the  well< 
wooded  Panbian  river,  about  six  leagues  distant,  whose 
banks  are  well  lined  with  wood,  coming  through  the  moun* 
tains  eastward  from  the  Lacs  des  Placottcs,  and  retaining 
the  woods  until  it  joins  Red  river,  receiving  in  its  course 
several  small  streams,  and  at  last  Tongue  dver,  which  is 
nearly  as  'arge  as  itself.  At  our  fe'it  issued  out  of  the 
mountain  two  rivulets,  whose  banks  retained  their  wood 
for  about  three  leagues  in  the  plains,  where  the  water  then 
spreads  into  a  number  of  small  streams,  which  run  apart 
through  the  meadow  till  they  re-unite  to  form  Plumb  river, 
wliose  tufts  uf  wood  we  could  scarcely  discern.  Upon  our 
left  hand  lay  first  the  Pinancewaywining,  beyond  which  we 
could  see  the  blue  wood  of  Rivi6re  aux  Islets  de  Bois; 
they  both  issue  out  of  the  mountain,  and  retain  their  wood 
for  a  considerable  distance  iii  the  plains,  when  their  waters 
spread,  and  are  lost  in  several  large  marshes  and  small 
streams,  which  course  through  the  meadows,  and  then 
effect  a  junction  by  two  forks,  thus  forming  Riviere  aux 
Gratias,  which,  after  running  a  few  leagues,  empties  into 
Red  river.  I  have  many  times  beheld  these  plains  covered 
with  buffalo  at  all  seasons  of  the  year ;  now  not  one  solitary 
old  bull  enlivens  the  prospect.  This  summer's  extraordi- 
nary rain,  having  overflowed  the  low  country,  has  caused 
the  buffalo  to  resort  to  the  high  lands  southward.  About 
midnight  I  awoke  in  great  pain,  occasioned  by  a  large 
black  insect  having  got  into  my  ear.  With  some  difficulty 
I  extricated  it  with  the  head  of  a  pin,  after  which  my  ear 
bled  considerably,  but  I  felt  no  more  pain. 

Aug.  i^th.  At  daybreak  we  were  on  horseback,  directing 
our  course   E.  S.   E.  down   the  mountain  and  across  the 


HOME  AGAIN   FROM  THE   MANDAN  TOUK. 


431 


plains.  We  found  a  great  quantity  of  water,  and  for  a 
long  distance  our  horses  had  it  up  to  their  bellies.  How- 
ever, at  eleven  o'clock  we  fell  in  with  our  old  cart-road, 
and  soon  after  reached  the  passage  on  Panbian  river,  where 
we  stopped  to  refresh  our  horses.  At  one  o'clock  we 
reloaded,  and  were  again  o.i  our  journey.  Our  course  was 
E.,  upon  the  old  beaten  cait-road,  which  has  been  traced 
for  six  years  past  by  transporting  our  property  to  and 
from  the  mountain,  where  we  have  generally  had  an 
establishment  since  I  first  settled  on  this  river.  This  road 
used  to  be  firm  and  good,  but  the  continued  rain  of  the 
summer  has  altered  the  face  of  almost  everything,  and 
there  is  now  mud  and  water  knee  deep.  Our  progress  was 
tedious,  and  the  mosquitoes  appeared  to  attack  us  with 
greater  fury  than  ever.  I  lost  all  patience  in  being  so 
tormented,  and  drove  ahead  as  fast  as  my  horse  would 
carry  me,  leaving  Ducharme  to  come  on  with  the  loaded 
horses  at  his  leisure.  At  five  o'clock  I  arrived  at  Panbian 
river,  where  I  found  a  number  of  Saulteurs  camped  at 
the  fort.     Ducharme  soon  arrived  with  the  horses. 

Aug.  2jd.  A  mounted  express  from  the  Forks  of  the 
Assiniboine  informed  me  of  the  arrival  of  the  Lower  Red 
River  brigade  at  that  place.  I  prepared  to  po  down  to 
meet  them.  2/fth.  Embarl  :d  with  four  men.  z^th.  In 
the  evening  we  arrived  at  the  Forks,  having  met  a  light 
canoe  at  Rivitre  Sale,  coming  up  to  meet  me.  26th. 
Made  up  the  assortment  for  Portage  la  Prairie  and  Rivifere 
du  Milieu ;  also  equipped  a  few  Indians  who  were  going 
to  hunt  on  Seine  and  Rat  rivers.  9jth.  Sent  off  two 
canoes  for  Portage  la  Prairie  and  the  remainder  of  the 
brigade  for  Panbian  river,  going  myself  on  horseback  to 
Portage  la  Prairie.  Having  settled  that  place  I  proceeded 
to  my  headquarters,  where  I  found  all  hands  had  arrived, 
and  the  Indians  camped  at  the  fort  anxiously  awaiting  me 
to  have  a  drinking-match.  Having  starved  all  summer  they 
had  little  to  trade;  I  therefore  obliged  them  to  decamp 
without  drinking. 


'   ■  !    1 

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li- 

IB'j 

421 


SAND  HILL  RIVEK  OUTPOST— BEAKS. 


'I 

11 


■^<< 


Sept.  isth.  I  sent  a  boat  above,  with  directions  to  build 
at  Sandy  Hill'*  river,  where  most  of  the  Indians  proposed 
to  winter,  but  made  no  other  outposts. 

RBTURNI  OP  LOWER  RED  RIVER   DEPARTMENT,    iSofr-O?. 


Six  Canou. 


1,184  Bcavtn,  wtighing  1750  Ibt. 
»i3  Black  Mar* 

31  Brown  bcitn 

■  Grlf ily  bear 

i,to7  Marunk 

116  Mink» 

;S44  Munkralt 

iioOllcn 

f  ti  Fi»hcr« 

4ao  Wolves 

■  16  Dreucd  biche  >kin» 

30  DreiMd  red  deer  tkint 

53  Parchmenl  biche  tkin* 

3t  Fallow  deer  tkini 

119  Red  fosct 

7  CroM  foaet 

4  Silver  fosei. 

8  Wolverenei. . 
4| 


4  [copy  blank]. 
I  Muikrat  roM.< 


I 


47 

3« 

8 

»^ 
S4 

47» 

w 


ai  Ermines. 


77  Packs  of  85  lbs.  each 

116  Rap  of  pemmican  of  %%  lbs.  Mch. 

•4  Kegs  of  graaM 

II  Kegs  of  sugar 

4  Kegs  of  gnm 

3  Kegs  of  M«f 

4m..... 

t  Kegs  of  tongue 


3» 

4 
4 

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30 
43 


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Gain,  ;f  198  4/.  lo/.,  Halifu  Cy. 


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Everything  went  on  as  usual  during  the  winter.  Buffalo 
abounded,  and  the  Indians  made  tolerably  good  hunts, 
considering  the  exhausted  state  of  this  small  department. 
Bears  were  uncommonly  numerous  in  the  Hair  hills,  owing 
perhaps  to  the  quantity  of  water  on  the  lowlands,  whicii 
obliged  them  to  resort  to  the  rising  grounds  for  winter  quar- 
ter Sand  Hill  r. — Riviire  aux  Buttet  de  Sable  of  Nov.  loth,  1800:  ice  p. 
141,  note  *'. 


I 


DBATII-H1.0W   TO   POKTAUE   LA   PKAIKIE. 


423 


tera;  they  were  excessively  fat.  One  of  my  hunters  killed  36 
prime  bears  in  the  course  of  the  season.  Whatever  number 
of  bears  an  Indian  may  kill  in  the  summer  or  fall  is  consid- 
ered of  no  consequence,  as  they  are  valueless  and  easy  to 
hunt;  but  after  they  have  taken  up  their  winter  quarters 
the  Indians  glory  in  killing  them. 

Portage  la  Prairie  was  unsuccessful  this  year  in  its  returns. 
The  main  cause  of  this  was  an  unfortunate  quarrel  which 
took  place  last  spring,  when  some  were  killed  and  others 
wounded,  among  them  one  of  our  principal  men,  whose 
skull  was  split  open  with  an  ax.  He  lived  1 5  days  in  the 
warm  month  of  June,  during  which  period  the  brains  never 
ceased  to  ooze  out.  He  retained  his  senses  to  the  last 
moment,  but  the  wound  emitted  a  horrid  stench  before  he 
died.  The  loss  of  this  man  may  be  said  to  have  given  the 
death-blow  to  Portage  la  Prairie.  A  party  of  our  Indian 
hunters  from  Sandy  Hill  river  were  attacked  in  the  spring, 
while  working  beaver  in  Folle  Avoine  river,  by  a  war-party 
of  50  Sioux  ;  Naubeenvishcung  [No.  23,  p.  54]  and  a  Cana- 
dian named  Charette "  from  Michilimackinac  were  killed. 
We  left  our  quarters  as  usual  [for  Kamanistiquia]. 

"  Or  La  Charette,  as  this  surname  was  also  rendered :  compare  the  place- 
name  La  Charette  on  the  Missouri,  in  L.  and  C.  ed.  1893,  pp.  a,  8,  ii8a, 
tail,  and  in  Pike,  ed.  189s,  pp.  361,  363,  364,  51a.— One  Simon  or  Simeon 
Charette  was  with  theCadottes  in  1799. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


«i 


THE  PEMBINA   RIVER  POST,  CONCLUDED  :    1807-08. 

f^  UG.  31st,  1807.  I  arrived  at  Panbian  river  in  30  days 
^*  from  Fort  William,  alias  Kamanistiquia,  leaving  an 
establishment  at  Riviere  aux  Morts,  and  gave  up  Portage 
la  Prairie  to  the  Upper  Red  River  department.  This 
season  we  were  troubled  by  an  augmentation  of  freemen 
from  Canada,  etc.  Their  total  numbers  on  this  river 
amounted  to  45 ;  more  worthless  fellows  could  not  be 
found  in  the  North  West.  On  my  arrival  the  Indians,  as 
usual,  were  camped  at  the  fort.  My  men  were  just  finish- 
ing our  hay — 3,000  bundles,  of  about  1 5  pounds  each.  Buf- 
falo were  very  numerous  and  near  at  hand. 

Sept.  1 2th.  Two  H.  B.  Co.  boats  arrived  from  Albany 
Factory  ;  Hugh  Henry  [Heney '],  master.  14th.  I  sent  a 
boat  above,  William  Henry,  master,  with  T.  V^andrie,  inter- 
preter, and  seven  men,  to  build  at  Grandes  Fourches.  15th. 
I  quarreled  with  Tabashaw,  and  turned  him  out  of  the 
fort.  igth.  One  H.  B.  Co.  boat  off  for  Grandes  Fourches ; 
six  men  and  a  skiff.  Indians  have  been  drinking  for  15 
days,  and  are  decamping.  I  employed  all  my  men  to  build 
a  large  stable,  to  contain  50  horses. 

'  Hugh  Heney's  name  is  a  snare  into  which  others  have  fallen  besides  myself. 
It  is  sometimes  found  as  Haney,  but  usually  becomes  Henry  in  MS.  and  thence 
gets  into  print,  Masson  has  Heney  correctly,  I.  pp.  307,  308.  "  A  Mr.  Haney  " 
first  occurs  in  Lewis  and  Clark,  Dec.  i6th,  1804,  p.  212  of  my  ed.  of  1893.  I 
there  question  the  name,  which  is  certainly  not  Haney  in  the  Clark  Codex  C 
132,  where  it  stands  in  MS.  twice  Henny  or  Henry.  In  the  Lewis  Codex  L 
69,  date  of  July  ist,  1806,  it  stands  Henry,  interlined  Haney;  but  Biddle  printed 
Henry,  and  on  p.  1065  I  bracketed  "  [Alexander]  Henry,"  with  cheerful 
promptitude,  thus  identifying  Hugh  Heney  with  our  author,  who  I  had  just 
learned  was  at  the  Mandans  in  i3o6.  I  had  never  seen  Masson  at  that  time, 
or  I  should  not  have  made  such  a  blunder.     My  error  repeats  itself  on  p.  1192, 


TO  GRANDES  FOURCHES  VIA  HAIR  HILLS. 


425 


Oct.  ist.  We  began  our  harvest,  but  the  produce  was 
not  much,  compared  with  other  years.  Fire  all  over  the 
country.  loth.  Finished  our  harvest.  Got  a  bridge  made 
over  the  creek  for  the  purpose  of  hauling  firewood  more 
conveniently,  igth.  One  of  the  women  untied  a  bag 
containing  two  quarts  of  gunpowder,  and,  imprudently 
holding  a  light  over  it,  a  spark  fell  into  and  exploded  it  on 
her  lap ;  her  face,  neck,  and  hands  were  shockingly  burned, 
but  she  recovered. 

Oct.  J  1st.  I  left  for  Grandes  Fourches,  going  by  way  of 
the  Hair  hills,  on  some  particular  business.  I  set  out  in  my 
chaise  and  pair,  with  four  men  on  horseback.  We  saw  all 
the  different  gangs  of  freemen  along  the  hills.  Buffalo  in 
abundance,  although  the  plains  were  lately  burned.  At  the 
foot  of  the  mountain,  near  the  upper  part  of  Turtle  river, 
as  my  men  were  pursuing  a  herd  on  horseback,  I  could  not 
refrain  from  joining  in  the  chase,  having  two  famous  buffalo 
hunters  to  my  chaise.  I  gave  them  the  reins,  away  they 
flew,  and  I  soon  dashed  into  the  herd,  neck  or  nothing. 
The  buffalo  suddenly  changed  their  course,  and  my  horses, 
being  eager  to  keep  along  with  them,  as  suddenly  altered 
theirs ;  the  shafts  of  the  carriage  broke  short  off,  and  down 
I  came  to  the  ground.  Fortunately  I  kept  hold  of  the 
reins,  and  with  some  difficulty  stopped  the  horses.  My 
people  soon  spliced  the  break,  and  put  the  carriage  in  con- 
dition to  perform  my  journey. 

Nov.  5th.    At  Grandes  Fourches.    We  had  a  heavy  fall 

where  I  quote  Lewis  and  Clark's  estimate  of  "  Mr.  Haney,  who  is  a  very  sen- 
sible intelligent  man,"  in  rebuking  Alexander  Henry  for  some  unkind  and 
injudicious  words  he  used  of  my  heroes.  My  only  consolation  is  that  I  have 
sinned  in  goodly  and  numerous  company,  and  can  now  make  my  own  amends, 
as  no  critic  has  found  me  out,  thus  far. 

We  hear  of  a  person,  no  doubt  the  same  Hugh  Heney,  in  Tanner's  Narr.,ed. 
James,  1830,  p,  167  :  "  We  had  ascended  Red  River  about  100  miles  when  we 
met  Mr.  Hanie,  a  trader  ;  "  and  again,  p.  182  :  "  Mr.  Hanie,  a  trader  for  the 
Hudson's  Bay  people,  had  arrived  at  Pembinah."  There  is  much  more  said 
about  him  on  following  pages.  The  exact  date  is  not  easy  to  calculate  ;  but  it 
was  after  our  author  had  left  Red  r. ,  and  had  been  succeeded  by  Mr.  Wells  of 
the  N.  W.  Co. — before  or  about  the  time  of  the  first  Selkirk  settlers. 


426 


THE  ORKNEY  "  LAD      IN  CHILDBIRTH. 


>v-^ 


A> 


of  snow,  but  it  did  not  prevent  my  returning  home,  where 
I  arrived  on  the  I2th.  That  night  Red  river  was  frozen 
over.  ^ 

Dec.  4ih.  I  shot  a  duck  in  a  small  open  space  in  the 
river,  of  a  species  we  call  the  winter  duck ;  it  was  very  fat. 
15th.  We  have  experienced  a  run  of  terribly  cold,  stormy 
weather,  that  drove  the  poor  old  bulls  every  night  to  take 
shelter  along  our  stockades. 

Dec.  2gth.  An  extraordinary  affair  occurred  this  morn- 
ing. One  of  Mr.  Heney's  Orkney  lads,  apparently  indis- 
posed, requested  me  to  allow  him  to  remain  in  my  house 
for  a  short  time.  I  was  surprised  at  the  fellow's  demand  ; 
however,  I  told  him  to  sit  down  and  warm  himself.  I  re- 
turned to  my  own  room,  where  I  had  not  been  long  before 
he  sent  one  of  my  people,  requesting  the  favor  of  speaking 
with  me.  Accordingly  I  stepped  down  to  him,  and  was 
much  surprised  to  Rnd  him  extended  on  the  hearth,  utter- 
ing dreadful  lamentations ;  he  stretched  out  his  hands  to- 
ward me,  and  in  piteous  tones  begged  me  to  be  kind  to  a 
poor,  helpless,  abandoned  wretch,  who  was  not  of  the  sex 
I  had  supposed,  but  an  unfortunate  Orkney  girl,  pregnant, 
and  actually  in  childbirth.  In  saying  this  she  opened  her 
jacket,  and  displayed  a  pair  of  beautiful,  round,  white 
breasts;  she  further  informed  me  of  the  circumstances  that 
had  brought  her  into  this  state.  The  man  who  had  de- 
bauched her  in  the  Orkneys,  two  years  ago,  was  wintering 
at  Grandes  Fourches.  In  about  an  hour  she  w.is  safely  Je- 
livered  of  a  fine  boy,  and  that  same  day  she  was  conveyed 
home  in  my  cariole,  where  she  soon  recovered' 


'  C.  N.  Bell  has  an  interesting  note  concerning  this  rase,  Trans.  Hist,  and 
Sci.  Soc.  Manitoba,  No.  37,  1889,  p.  18:  "The  late  Mr.  DonaU'  Murray 
infoimed  me  that  the  history  of  this  girl  was  well  known  to  him  and  others  of 
the  early  .Selkirk  settlers.  She  was  at  James  Bay  for  two  yea^s,  and  then  at 
Brandon  House  on  the  Assinihoine,  for  some  time,  and  w.is  afterwards  sent  to 
the  H.  B.  Co.'s  post  at  Pembina.  It  has  been  claimed  that  the  first  white 
woman  who  arrived  in  the  Red  River  country  was  a  French  Canadian,  Madame 
Lajimoniere  [iiV],  who  came  to  the  Northwest  from  Three  Rivers,  Quebec,  in 
1806,  but  from  the  evidence  obtained  from  Henry's  journal,  and  verbal  sUte- 


»1 


BATTLES  BETWEEN  SIOUX  AND  SAULTEURS. 


427 


The  same  afternoon  an  express  arrived  from  Grandes 
Fourches,  informing  us  that  a  large  war-party  of  Sioux  had 
fallen  upon  our  principal  body  of  Saulteurs  in  camp  at 
Grosse  Isle,  near  FoUe  Avoine  river,  and  killed  our  great 
chief  Tabashaw,  his  eldest  son,  and  an  old  woman.*  The 
Saulteurs  had  fought  like  heroes  against  superior  numbers, 
and  obliged  them  to  retreat,  by  which  means  the  camp  was 
saved;  the  enc;ny  left  one  of  their  men  dead  on  the  field, 
and  carried  off  several  others  severely  wounded.  We  also 
heard  of  another  battle,  fought  by  the  Saulteurs  of  Leech 
and  Red  lakes  against  30  tents  of  Sioux,  near  Riviere  de 


ments  of  Mr.  Donald  Murray,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  this  Orkney  girl 
had  been  here  at  least  a  year  when  Madame  Lagimoniere  [sic]  arrived.  Con- 
cealing  her  true  sex  for  three  or  four  years,  it  was  only  revealed  to  one  man, 
John  Scart,  until  after  the  birth  of  her  child,  in  December,  1807.  She  was 
sent  home  to  the  Orkneys,  and  I  am  informed  became,  with  her  daughter,  pub- 
lic characters,  and  were  known  as  vagrants,  under  the  name  of  the  '  Norwesters.' 
Mr.  Murray  stated  '  this  was  undoubtedly  the  first  white  woman  who  lived  in 
the  Red  River  country.  I  knew  both  Baptiste  Lajinioniere  and  his  wife,  but 
never  bef  jre  heard  that  it  was  claimed  that  she  was  the  first  white  woman  in 
this  country.'"  On  the  same  subject,  compare  Tanner,  p.  200  :  "  The  Scots 
people,  to  the  number  of  100  or  more,  arrived  to  settle  at  Red  River,  under  the 
protection  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  among  these  I  saw,  for  the  first 
time  in  many  years,  since  I  had  become  u  man,  a  white  woman."  The  birth 
our  author  records  is  no  doubt  that  of  the  first  all-white  child  on  Red  r. 

'  Tanner,  pp.  169-71,  gives  a  circumstantial  account  of  an  affair  whijh  can 
be  no  other  than  the  one  Henry  thus  briefly  mentions.  Tanner  is  diffuse  about 
it,  and  my  calculated  chronology  fetches  his  story  out  of  date  a  little  ;  but  I 
think  the  identification  can  be  made.  Tanner  is  talking  of  a  party  of  Ojibhe- 
ways  on  Wild  Rice  (or  FoHe  Avoine)  river,  which  included  Ais-ainse  (Little 
Clam),  his  oI<l  wife,  and  her  young  son,  who  called  out,  "  The  Sioux  are  coming  I" 
The  old  woman  "  was  no  more  heard  of."  A  Sioux  killed  "  a  favorite  son  of 
Ais-ainse."  Furthermore,  there  was  "  another  considerable  man  of  the  Ojibhe- 
ways,  who  w.is  also  named  Ta-bush-shish."  Tanner  finally  has  it  that  "  these 
were  all  that  were  killed  at  tliat  time,  the  old  woman,  T.vbush-shish,  anil  the  son 
of  Ais-ainse."  Such  a  Henry-Tanner  concordance  as  this  can  hardly  be  fortu- 
itous, though  I  lenry  kills  Tabashaw's  son,  instead  of  Little  Clam  s.  I  also  think 
that  Tanner,  ]>.  171,  indicates  the  other  fijjht  of  which  Henry  speaks  in  the 
same  paragraph.  For  Tanner  says  "  it  was  on  the  same  day  .  .  that  the 
war-party  from  Leech  Lake,  which  Wa-ge-tone  had  joined,  fell  upon  4c  Sioux 
lodges,  at  :.he  long  prairie,  .  .  .  fougiu  for  two  days,  and  many  were  killed  on 
each  side." 


U 

1 


h 


428 


SPRING  OPENING — COHORN   MOUNTED. 


M  ' 


L'Aile  du  Corbeau  [Crow  Wing  river,  Minn.],  wherein  20 
tents  were  destroyed ;  the  Saulteurs  lost  but  seven  men, 
and  brought  away  many  of  the  enemy's  horses.  This  party 
consisted  of  about  200  men. 

Friday,  Jan.  ist,  1808.  Buffalo  in  great  abundance,  /j///. 
I  sent  four  men  to  Riviere  Qu'Appelle  for  high  wine ;  also 
two  men  to  make  salt  at  Turtle  river.  2jd.  Two  men 
arrived  from  Bas  de  la  Riviere  with  dispatches  from  Mr. 
McKay  concerning  the  Mountain  Indian  plot.  26th.  Sent 
ofT  the  express  for  Leech  lake.  28th.  Finished  our  winter 
stock  of  fresh  meat,  having  sufficient  to  last  until  July. 

Feb.  ijth.  Filled  our  ice  house  with  ice  and  fresh  meat. 
24th.  Bad  coughs  and  colds  have  attacked  even/  man, 
woman,  and  child.    26th.     Men  making  wheels. 

Mar.  2d.  We  have  had  a  few  days  of  mild  weather. 
This  morning  we  saw  a  vulture  [turkey-buzzard]  for  the 
first  time  this  season — the  earliest  I  ever  saw  on  this  river. 
In  1800  we  saw  them  on  the  7th  of  March,  on  the  Assini- 
boine.  jd.  Some  Indians  who  came  in  to-day  had  seen 
emmerions  [^merillons — small  hawks]  on  the  ist  inst.  ^th. 
Swans  passing  last  night.  Indians  all  camped  at  the  fort, 
drinking  and  very  troublesome.  They  are  in  such  a  state 
of  consternation  from  the  Sioux  having  fallen  upon  them 
that  they  have  given  over  hunting  this  season,  and  are 
collecting  about  the  houses  to  go  northward  out  of  danger. 
This  affair  has  seriously  injured  my  department;  I  shall 
lose  two-thirds  of  the  debts  I  gave  out  last  fall.  22d.  Got 
a  carriage  made  for  my  cohorn  *  Saw  a  flock  of  swans. 
24.th.  Saw  outardes.  2gth.  I  brought  a  cock  and  two 
hens  last  summer  from  Fort  William  ;  one  of  the  hens  died 
last  fall,  and  the  other  began  to  lay  to-day.  Jist.  The 
winter  express  from  the  north  arrived. 

Apr.  2d.  I  sent  off  the  express  for  Leech  lake,  and  six 
men  also  for  their  canotees  of  sugar  from  that  place ;  women 

*  The  cohorn  or  coehorn,  so  called  as  the  invention  of  a  Dutch  engineer  of 
that  name,  b.  1641,  d.  1704,  was  a  small  hand  mortar  for  throwing  grerides. 
Henry  speaks  beyond  of  loading  his  with  a  pound  of  powder  and  30  bullets. 


\\ 


\^i- 


HENRYS  HENNERY— DURING  THE  BOISSON. 


429 


also  employed  making  sugar  here.  ^th.  Wild  fowl  in 
abundance.  7th.  Snow  entirely  gone.  My  blacksmith 
made  a  plowshare  weighing  30  pounds,  gth.  The  river 
broke  up.  /////.  River  clear  of  ice.  I  got  a  very  large 
wooden  canoe  made  out  of  Hard.  igth.  My  hen,  having 
laid  12  eggs,  appeared  inclined  to  hatch;  so  I  put  them 
under  her.  We  take  sturgeon  in  abundance  in  our  nets. 
2yth.    Boats  and  rafts  arrived  from  Grandes  Fourches. 

May  8th.  Out  of  12  eggs  my  hen  hatched  11  chickens. 
loth.  In  the  course  of  24  hours  we  caught  in  one  net  120 
sturgeon,  weighing  60  to  1 50  lbs.  each.  Made  up  pemmi- 
can.  The  Assiniboines,  Crees,  Sonnants,  and  Saulteurs, 
having  camped  at  the  fort  for  some  time  and  emptied  some 
kegs  of  high  wine,  must  have  a  parting  drop,  as  they  pro- 
pose  to  decamp  soon.  Wm.  Henry  gave  out  a  lo-gallon 
keg  of  high  wine  gratis.  During  the  boisson  Porcupine 
Tail's  son  was  murdered  by  a  Courte  Oreille,  his  beau-fr^re ; 
he  received  15  stabs  in  the  belly  and  breast,  and  fell  dead 
on  the  spot.  A  few  days  before  this  affair  the  same  Courte 
Oreille  had  fired  at  him,  but  as  the  gun  was  only  loaded 
with  powder,  only  a  few  grains  entered  the  skin  and  did  no 
serious  injury.  About  ten  days  ago  another  Saulteur  was 
murdered  by  his  wife,  who  put  the  muzzle  of  his  gun  in  his 
mouth  and  blew  the  back  part  of  his  head  away.  They 
were  a  young  couple,  with  a  boy  about  a  year  old ;  she  had 
the  handsomest  face  of  al'  the  women  on  this  river,  and  he 
was  a  good,  honest  young  fellow,  called  La  Biche.  Murder^j 
among  these  people  are  so  frequent  that  we  pay  little  atten- 
tion to  them.  Their  only  excuse  for  sucl  atrages  is  that 
they  are  drunk. 

May  I2th.  We  began  to  build  a  large  oat  to  carry  pem- 
mican  down  to  Bas  de  la  Riviere,  i/fth.  ean  Baptiste,  my 
guide,  whom  I  had  sent  to  Leech  lake  t  or  sugar,  arrived  on 
foot  with  one  Indian,  having  found  water  so  very  low 

that  he  was  obliged  to  put  his  ca  ^joes  en  cxche  above 
Riviere  k  I'Eau  Claire  [Clear  Water  river,  Minn.j,  and  could 
only  send  down  two  canoes  with  a  small  part  of  their  origi- 


i 


iV 


w 


'I  h 


430       SEASON  OVER— imiGADE  OFF— GRASSHOPPERS. 


n 


li 


nal  lading.  i6t/t.  I  sent  off  six  carts  drawn  by  two  horses 
each,  for  the  40  kegs  of  sugar.  Began  to  plow  for  sowing. 
i^t/t.  Begem  to  sow  potatoes,  corn,  pease,  oats,  etc.  ipth. 
One  canoe  arrived  from  Leech  lake;  the  other  two  were 
entirely  worn  out  and  had  been  abandoned.  2^tA.  I  made 
a  strong  oak  battery  for  mounting  my  cohorn.  ^S^A.  The 
boat  was  finished  and  launched.  The  men  returned  with 
the  40  kegs  of  sugar  and  other  baggage,  equal  to  nine  pieces 
per  cart ;  several  of  the  kegs  weighed  100  lbs.  26th.  My 
people  from  Dead  river  arrived  in  a  boat  with  their  baggage, 
and  made  up  the  remainder  of  my  packs.  28tA.  Finished 
all  our  work  for  this  season.  2gth.  I  settled  the  men's 
accounts,  hired  those  whose  engagements  were  expired,  and 
gave  them  a  treat  of  rum,  sugar,  and  tobacco. 

/uftf  ist.  Sent  off  the  brigade,*  and  took  an  inventory 
of  property  on  hand.  2d.  Embarked  in  my  own  canoe, 
and  overtook  the  brigade;  met  a  La'  :  Winipic  canoe  at 
Riviere  aux  Gratlas,  and  in  the  evening  of  the  3d  arrived 
at  the  Forks.  loth.  Sent  off  the  brigade  for  Fort  Wil- 
liam. 24th.  Mr.  McDonell  embarked  for  Fort  William  ; 
and  I,  on  my  return  >  summer  at  Panbian  river.  2^th. 
Took  horse  at  Riviere  Sale,  and  set  out  for  my  fort.  The 
weather  was  excessively  hot  ;  both  myself  and  horse  suf- 
fered intolerably  from  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun.  The 
thermometer  must  have  been  at  least  104°.  At  dark  I 
irrived  at  Panbian  river,  scarcely  able  to  crawl.  Swarms 
of  grasshoppers  [the  Rocky  Mount5\in  locust,  Caloptenus 
spretus]  have  destroyed  the  greater  part  of  the  vegetables 
in  my  kitchen  garden — onions,  cabbages,  melons,  cucum- 
bers, carrots,  parsnips,  and  beets.  They  had  also  attacked 
the  potatoes  and  corn,  but  these  were  strong  enough  at  the 
root  to  sprout  again.  The  swarms  appear  about  the  15th 
of  June,  generally  in  clouds  from  the  S.,  and  spread 
destruction ;  the  very  trees  are  stripped  of  their  leaves. 
Grasshoppers  pass  northward  until  millions  are  drowned  in 

*  See  beyond,  end  of  this  chapter,  for  the  manning  and  lading  of  the  bri- 
gade now  sent  from  Pembina. 


( , 


ill 


trses 
ring. 
T^th. 
were 
nade 

The 

with 

)ieces 

My 

[gage, 
lished 
men's 
d,  and 

entory 
canoe, 
noe  at 
arrived 
rt  Wil- 
^ilUam ; 
25th. 
The 
^rse  suf- 
The 
dark  I 
Swarms 
loptenus 
retables 
cucum- 
ttacked 
at  the 
iSth 
spread 
leaves, 
wned  in 

of  the  bri- 


ll 
le 


SUMMER  WEARS  ON— DRINKING  CONTINUES.        43 1 

Lake  Winipic  and  cause  a  horrid  stench,  as  I  have  already 
observed  [Aug.  17th,  1800].  They  do  not  make  such  a  for- 
midable appearance  every  year. 

I  found  no  Indians  tented  at  the  fort.  My  hen  began  to 
lay  again,  all  her  chicks  being  now  well  grown.  Men 
hoeing  potatoes  and  corn. 

June  27th.  Indians  from  Leech  lake  with  tobacco,  con- 
cerning a  grand  war-party  to  assemble  next  September  at 
L'Eau  Claire,  where  they  propose  to  form  a  main  body  of 
the  Saulteur  tribes,  being  fully  determined  to  seek  the 
Sioux  even  upon  their  own  lands  and  take  revenge  for  the 
affair  of  last  autumn,  when  Tabashaw  and  his  son  were 
killed,  joth.  We  set  night  lines  and  take  abundance  of 
cat-fish  [Amiurus  nebulosus], 

July  ist.  Transplanted  a  few  cabbages  that  had  escaped 
the  grasshoppers.  7th.  I  went  hunting  on  horseback, 
with  Mr.  Langlois.  Slept  at  the  Hair  Hills  fort.  Saw 
only  a  few  bulls.  8th.  Chased  bulls ;  killed  a  very  fat  one 
and  started  homeward,  but  was  overtaken  by  a  storm  of 
thunder,  lightning,  and  rain,  th^  ivi  >st  terrible  I  ever  saw 
in  my  life  ;  even  our  horses  were  ;>£artled  at  the  loud  peals 
and  vivid  flashes,  becoming  at  times  unmanageable,  gth. 
My  hen  having  laid  12  eggs,  and  appearing  inclined  to  set, 
I  put  them  under  her.  nth.  My  men  began  to  make 
3,oc»  bundles  of  hay.  Poires  now  ripening;  raspberries 
ripe,  and  in  great  abundance.  The  freemen  are  daily  com- 
ing in  with  dried  provisions,  beat  meat,  and  grease.  I2th. 
Indians  arrived  and  camped  ;  all  drinking  liquor  traded  for 
dried  provisions  and  skins.  /////.  A  few  more  Indians. 
20th.  More  Indians  still,  bringing  a  tolerably  good  hunt 
in  provisions  and  skins.  Drinking  continues.  I  had  sent 
four  carts  to  bring  the  baggage  of  this  band  from  the  other 
side  of  Red  river.  This  was  the  first  essay  ever  made  with 
carts  in  that  direction ;  there  was  a  thick  wood  to  pass  on 
leaving  the  river  for  about  three  miles  before  coming  to  the 
plains,  and  it  had  been  always  supposed  impracticable ;  but 
I  found  it  otherwise,  and  the  carts  arrived  at  the  water's 


t 


't      1 


't 
I:  '-•, 


I 
) 


432 


NIGHT  ATTACK  ON  THE  POST. 


w 


V  " 


. ,  ■  i 


edge  with  heavy  loads.    Jist.    Indians  still  drinking ;  some 
fresh  arrivals. 

/ufy  22d.  This  evening  the  drinking-match  ceased,  and 
they  all  fell  asleep  in  their  tents,  pitched  in  a  range  on  the 
first  bank  between  the  river  and  the  fort.  They  were  22 
men  bearing  arms,  about  50  women,  and  many  children. 
In  the  fort  we  were  nine  men  in  all.  The  night  was  dark 
and  still.  About  midnight  a  discharge  of  firearms  on  the  S. 
side  of  Panbian  river  was  suddenly  heard,  accompanied  by 
tremendous  whooping  and  yelling  in  the  same  quarter.  The 
Indians  were  first  alarmed  by  some  balls  passing  through 
their  tents :  they  started  up  and  called  out  to  two  families 
who  were  camped  on  the  E.  side  of  the  river,  asking  if  they 
had  fired.  They  answered,  No.  At  that  moment  another 
discharge  from  the  S.  side  of  the  little  river  convinced  the 
Indians  of  whom  they  had  to  deal  with.  Not  one  gun  was  in 
their  tents,  for  I  had  taken  every  one  from  them  before  the 
drinking-match,  to  prevent  mischief.  They  rushed  up  the 
hill  to  the  fort ;  the  gates  being  shut,  they  climbed  over  the 
stockades,  and  in  a  moment  entered  the  house,  informing 
us  of  the  danger.  They  caught  up  their  guns  and  ran  to 
the  gates,  which  were  by  this  time  opened  and  thronged  by 
the  women  and  children  pushing  in  with  their  baggage. 
They  exchanged  two  or  three  shots  with  the  enemy,  when 
the  firing  ceased  on  both  sides.  At  this  moment  I  got  up, 
and  having  slipped  on  my  trousers,  ran  out  to  where  the 
Indians  were  assembled,  near  the  burying  ground.  We 
could  distinctly  hear  the  Sioux  haranguing  their  own 
people.  The  Indians  wished  to  fire  again  in  the  direction 
whence  we  heard  the  voices ;  but  I  prevented  them,  got  all 
hands  into  the  fort,  shut  the  gates,  and  placed  sentinels  in 
the  blockhouses — to  see  was  impossible,  the  night  was  so 
dark.  I  g^ve  out  ammunition  and  guns  to  those  who  had 
none,  and  placed  my  cohorn  upon  the  battery,  loaded  with 
one  pound  of  powder  and  30  balls.  Taking  aim  as  nearly 
as  possible  at  the  spot  whence  we  still  heard  the  enemy 
haranguing,  and    having   a    man    ready   with    a   match,  I 


THE  COHORN  TALKS  TO  THE  SIOUX. 


433 


ordered  him  to  fire.  The  balls  clattered  among  the  large 
tree?  across  the  little  river,  and  the  noise  of  the  discharge 
must  have  appeared  awful  to  people  who  had  never  heard 
anything  of  the  kind  before.  My  Saulteurs  hoped  to  find 
a  good  round  number  of  the  enemy  dead,  as  they  said  they 
heard  the  Sioux  lamenting  their  fallen  relations.  Every, 
thing  was  quiet  for  some  time,  till  we  again  heard  the 
enemy  haranguing;  but  they  had  withdrawn  to  a  greater 
distance.  I  once  more  loaded  my  cohorn  :  and,  pointing  it 
as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  spot  where  we  heard  them,  fired 
a  second  shot.  This  caused  them  apparently  to  withdraw 
still  further,  as  we  heard  no  more  of  them  during  the  night. 
Sentinels  were  stationed  at  every  part  of  the  fort,  whilst 
others  accompanied  the  women  to  fetch  as  much  water  as 
we  had  vessels  to  contain  ;  for  we  expected  certainly  to  be 
attacked  at  daybreak. 

July  24.th.  At  the  first  dawn  all  eagerly  looked  for  the 
enemy,  anxious  to  have  the  first  shot ;  and  had  the  enemy 
attacked  the  fort  in  daylight,  they  would  have  been  roughly 
handled  ;  the  Saulteurs  appeared  full  of  animation,  and 
would  have  fought  like  heroes.  Just  before  sunrise  we  ob- 
served a  party  of  horsemen  to  the  southward,  riding  back- 
ward and  forward  in  the  plains.  They  were  prudent  enough 
to  keep  out  of  reach  of  my  gun,  and  dare  not  come  within 
a  mile  of  the  fort.  My  Indians  wished  to  go  out  to  meet 
theni,  supposing  their  numbers  to  be  not  very  great ;  but  I 
pre\-ented  them,  suspecting  the  enemy  had  laid  an  ambus- 
cade to  decoy  us  to  such  distance  from  the  fort  that  they 
might  intercept  our  retreat  and  destroy  us.  I  therefore 
advised  all  to  keep  quiet,  in  expectation  of  the  enemies' 
approach.  But  this  was  not  their  intention ;  for,  the  sun 
being  half  an  hour  high,  they  began  to  file  off  southward 
by  the  road  along  Red  river  and  soon  disappeared.  My  In- 
dians now  crossed  Panbian  river  to  examine  the  spot  whence 
they  had  been  fired  on.  They  found  a  saddle  complete,  a 
whip,  and  several  pairs  of  shoes,  all  of  which  appeared  to 
have  been  thrown  away  in  a  sudden  retreat.    On  the  han- 


434 


HOW  THE  FREEMEN  ESCAPED  THE  SIOUX. 


die  of  the  whip  was  a  stain  of  fresh  blood,  but  we  could 
find  no  further  evidence  that  anyone  had  been  hurt. 
About  nine  o'clock,  while  we  were  consulting  what  meas. 
ures  should  be  taken  to  prevent  a  surprise — for  we  supposed 
the  enemy  would  lurk  about  for  some  days  in  expectation 
of  falling  upon  some  straggler — suddenly  our  sentinel  called 
out  that  they  were  coming  on  the  road  directly  toward  the 
fort.  Everyone  ran  to  quarters  ;  I  went  upon  the  top  of  my 
house,  the  most  elevated  situation  in  the  fort,  where  I  per. 
ceived  a  large  body  of  horsemen  coming  on  the  road  ;  but 
on  examining  them  with  my  glass,  I  saw  a  cart  among 
them  and  soon  recognized  them  as  a  party  of  freemen 
coming  with  loads  of  grease.  On  arrival  they  were  aston- 
ished to  learn  of  their  narrow  escape  from  the  Sioux,  who 
would  have  shown  them  no  mercy.  The  usual  route  of 
those  freemen  in  summer,  when  they  come  in  the  fort, 
lies  along  Red  river,  and  is  exactly  that  by  which  the 
enemy  came  and  returned.  But  on  this  occasion,  the  free- 
men had  taken  an  unusual  route  on  leaving  their  tents,  and 
come  by  the  upper  road  along  the  foot  of  the  Hair  hills 
and  Tongue  river.  During  the  time  we  watched  the  Sioux 
this  morning  at  sunrise,  the  freemen  were  marching  down 
Tongue  river ;  but  fortunately  for  them,  the  land  where  the 
track  runs  close  to  the  wood  is  low,  and  between  that  and 
where  the  enemy  were  is  a  ridge  on  which  grow  willows ; 
this  intercepted  the  view,  and  to  this  they  owed  their  safety. 
But  we  now  supposed  the  enemy  had  fallen  in  with  two 
freemen  who  had  left  there  yesterday  about  noon  with  a 
cart,  on  their  return  to  their  tents  at  the  foot  of  the  Hair 
hills ;  as  those  just  arrived  had  not  met  them,  but  observed 
that  the  track  of  a  cart  had  gone  by  the  road  along  Red 
river,  where  the  two  men  must  unavoidably  have  met  with 
the  enen»y  yesterday  afternoon.  Of  course  we  gave  them 
over  for  dead. 

July  25th.  Before  daylight  I  set  off  with  five  Indians  on 
horseback  to  make  discoveries  on  the  Sioux  tracks.  We 
found  the  spot  where  they  had  adjusted  themselves  in  the 


ON  THE  TRAIL  OF  TII^  SIOUX. 


435 


night  to  attack  us.    This  was  about  i>^  mile  from  the  fort, 
in  full  view  of  the  blockhouse  and  stockades.    They  had 
purposely  struck  out  of  their  direct  route,  to  place  them- 
selves in  view  of  their  intended  place  of  attack.    Here  we 
found  upward  of  too  pairs  of  old  shoes,  some  scalps,  rem- 
nants of  leather  and  buffalo-skins,  saddle-cloths  made  of 
buffalo  robes,  whips,  pieces  of  old     addles,  rolls  of  bark 
containing  war  caps,  bark  and  willow  dishes  ;  also,  paunches 
and  bladde/s  of  water  for  a  journey.     Upward  of  lOO  wil- 
lows, about  six  feet  long,  with  a  fork  about  the  middle, 
were  stripped  of  their  bark,  and  stuck  in  the  ground.    This, 
I  am  told,  is  for  the  purpose  of  hanging  up  their  war-caps 
before  attacking  an  enemy.     We  also  observed  some  places 
where  they  had  seated  themselves  in  the  long  grass  by  twos, 
threes,  and  fours,  to  adjust  their  war-dresses.      At  every 
seat  we  found  a  quantity  of  swan's  down,  colored  with  red 
earth,  under  which  we  found  from  one  to  four  small  stones, 
about  the  size  of  an  egg,  also  daubed  over  with  red  earth  ; 
and  near  by  were  stuck  in  the  ground  the  same  number  of 
willows,  about  two  feet  long,  stripped  of  their  bark,  and 
daubed  with  the  same  red  earth.    Such  a  place  is  called  by 
the  Indians  "  the  spot  of  the  last  sacrifice,"  as  it  is  here 
that  they  adjust  themselves  for  the  battle,  and  generally 
make  a  sacrifice  of  different  articles  they  have  brought  with 
them  for  that  purpose,  to   insure   the  protection  of  the 
Supreme  Being,  or,  as  they  term  him,  the  Master  of  Life. 

Having  collected  several  articles  we  proceeded  on  the 
road  of  the  war-party,  who,  in  coming  down,  had  kept  close 
to  the  woods,  following  every  bend  and  turn  of  the  river 
and  frequently  going  down  to  the  water's  side.  Their  trail 
was  like  a  well-beaten  buffalo-track  in  the  long  grass,  and 
we  supposed  the  party  had  consisted  of  upward  of  lOO  men, 
though  they  had  but  few  horses.  From  the  different  con- 
struction of  their  shoes,  we  concluded  they  must  have  been 
of  three  different  tribes — Yankton,  Gens  des  Feuilles,  and 
some  other.  We  also  picked  up  several  pipe-stems  and 
some  of  their  arrows,  the  feathers  of  which  were  of  the 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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WnSTIII,N.Y.  14919 

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436 


SUPPOSED  SIOU::  HAVE  HATS  ON. 


turkey ;  some  of  their  whip-handles  were  made  of  hickory. 
We  kept  on  till  I  observed,  as  I  thought,  a  flock  of  crows 
jumping  up  and  down  in  the  edge  of  the  wood  on  our  left. 
I  pointed  them  out  to  an  Indian,  who  told  me  they  were  not 
crows,  but  Sioux.  We  also  saw  near  the  wood  at  the  point 
a  band  of  horses,  among  which  was  a  white  one.  We  had 
observed,  on  the  morning  when  we  saw  the  enemy  from  the 
fort,  that  they  had  a  large  white  horse.  This  tended  to  con- 
Arm  my  suspicion  that  they  were  the  enemy ;  and  my  In- 
dians were  positive  about  it.  A  short  consultation  was  held, 
and  I  advised,  by  all  means,  a  retreat ;  what  else  could  six 
men  do  ?  While  we  were  still  consulting  one  of  the  Indians 
said  that  he  had  seen  horsemen  passing  through  the  wood, 
as  if  to  cut  off  our  retreat.  No  time  was  to  be  lost ;  we 
turned  about.  Then  suddenly  appeared  in  the  plains  to  the 
W.  and  N.  W.  of  us  a  large  party  of  horsemen,  coming 
directly  on.  This  caused  a  halt,  as  we  were  surrounded,  and 
began  to  suspect  that  the  enemy  had  planned  to  cut  us  off. 
The  Indians  put  on  their  war-caps,  uttering  some  few  words, 
which  I  could  not  hear  distinctly,  and  then  began  to  whistle 
with  a  small  bone  instrument,  which  they  hang  round  their 
neck  for  that  purpose.  The  several  parties  in  the  plains  to 
the  N.  W.  and  W.  assembled  on  a  rising  ground,  where  two 
horsemen  left  the  main  body  and  rode  toward  us.  We  soon 
saw  they  had  hats  on,  and  thus  knew  them  to  be  white  men  ; 
we  rode  up  to  them,  and  were  agreeably  surprised  to  find 
them  to  be  the  two  freemen  who  we  had  supposed  were  mur- 
dered. They  informed  me  that,  on  leaving  the  fort,  they 
had  actually  taken  the  road  along  the  river,  but  had  not 
gone  more  than  a  mile  when  they  changed  their  minds,  and 
struck  away  directly  for  their  tents  across  the  plains,  W.  S. 
W.,  in  hopes  of  seeing  some  buffalo.  In  this  they  were 
disappointed,  and  having  no  provisions,  they  decamped,  and 
were  then  on  their  way  to  the  point  of  Two  Rivers,  where 
they  intended  to  live  on  fish  ;  and  the  party  we  saw  at  a 
distance  were  their  families. 

Having  come  within  two  miles  of  the  fort.  Little  Shell 


^fc^*"''''^BP*  i 


THE  ADVENTURE  ENDS  IN  SMOKE. 


437 


dispatched  two  of  his  younger  brothers  ahead,  to  return  and 
meet  us  with  his  pipe  and  stem  of  ceremony,  and  to  relate 
no  news  whatever,  nor  answer  any  questions.  Having  given 
them  sufficient  time,  we  sent  Little  Shell  ahead,  requesting 
him  to  relate  no  news  until  after  the  ceremony  of  smoking. 
We  soon  perceived  all  the  Indians  coming  from  the  fort  at 
full  speed,  with  nothing  on  .but  their  breech-clouts,  shoes, 
and  weapons.  Little  Shell,  who  acted  as  commander4n. 
chief,  galloped  on,  myself  next  to  him ;  we  passed  the  Indians 
without  saying  a  word,  and  on  to  the  river-side,  where  we 
found  everybody  alarmed.  No  one  knew  what  was  the 
matter,  but  the  mysterious  proceedings  of  our  two  messen- 
gers had  caused  them  to  suppose  the  enemy  was  at  our 
heels.  We  crossed  Panbian  river  and  dismounted ;  the  pipe 
was  lighted  and  passed  around.  Little  Shell  then  related 
our  adventure,  paying  me  the  compliment  that  my  keen 
eyesight  had  saved  them  from  the  enemy. 

This  Mras  about  2  p.  m.  During  the  remainder  of  the  day 
the  Indians  were  forming  a  plan  to  pursue  the  Sioux  by 
night.  About  dark  we  perceived  a  party  of  men,  women, 
and  children  coming  down  to  the  E.  side  of  Red  river. 
They  proved  to  be  a  band  of  freemen,  almost  naked,  who 
left  their  old  camp  at  the  foot  of  the  Hair  hills  yesterday, 
and  had  come  across  the  plains.  About  eleven  o'clock  this 
morning  they  arrived  at  the  point  of  Two  Rivers,  where 
they  fell  upon  a  broad  road  and  found  several  articles  which 
they  knew  to  be  Sioux  property.  This  gave  them  a  great 
alarm ;  and  while  they  were  still  looking  about,  picking  up 
what  they  could  find,  they  saw  us  coming.  They  instantly 
ran  along  the  woods,  down  the  bank,  and  thence  -^long  the 
shore,  where  they  made  a  raft  and  crossed  over,  leaving  their 
carts  and  horses  standing  on  the  edge  of  the  plain.  Those 
were  the  horses  we  had  seen,  one  of  which  was  white.  Thus 
all  the  day's  adventures  proved  to  be  mutual  false  alarms. 

This  evening  another  freeman  arrived  from  the  salt  lake 
on  Park  river,  bringing  two  cartloads  of  grease.  This  man 
fell  t'.pon  the  vmr  road  at  the  Grand  Point,  S.  of  the  Bois 


u. 


!l^^*tS^' 


IV. 


IS^ 


438 


WHOM   AND  WHAT  THE  SIOUX   MISSED. 


Perc^,  but  never  suspected  it  to  be  ai.  enemy's  track  ;  sup. 
posing  it  had  been  made  by  a  war-party  of  Saulteurs,  he 
went  down  to  the  river  to  water  his  horse.  There  he  found 
the  Sioux  camp,  which  they  had  not  left  more  than  three 
hours  before.  Still  suspecting  no  enemy,  he  came  on  to 
Two  Rivers  about  dusk,  and  perceived  the  freemen's  carts 
and  horses  upon  the  bank;  he< supposed  the  men  had  gone 
down  to  the  river  to  drink,  and  thought  it  a  favorable  oppor- 
tunity to  pass  them ;  so  he  slipped  by  quietly,  and  remained 
ignorant  of  the  danger  he  had  escaped  until  we  informed  him. 

It  is  really  astonishing  what  a  narrow  escape  these  freemen 
had  from  this  war-party.  Furthermore,  their  track  in  com- 
ing and  going  along  Red  river  passed  within  nine  miles  of  a 
camp  of  freemen  on  Park  river,  where  there  were  but  three 
men,  with  upward  of  20  women  and  children,  and  100  excel- 
lent horses  belonging  to  themselves  and  to  those  of  my 
people  who  had  gone  to  Fort  William.  This  would  have 
been  a  noble  prize  for  them»  well  worth  the  trouble  of  com- 
ing for. 

July  26th.  There  was  due  the  Indians  a  keg  of  liquor, 
payable  in  the  fall  by  a  freeman ;  but  the  fellow  impru- 
dently gave  it  to  them  this  afternoon,  which  made  them 
more  troublesome  than  I  ever  before  knew  them  to  be. 
The  freemen  went  for  their  carts  to  Two  Rivers.  I  sent 
T.  Vaudrie  and  another  man  to  Bas  de  la  Riviere,  with 
letters.  28th.  My  hen  hatched  only  7  chickens  out  of 
12  eggs.  I  now  have  a  flock  of  18,  large  and  small.  2gth. 
The  freemen  and  Indians  decamped  for  the  mountain,  to 
hunt  red  deer  and  moose  in  the  strong  wood.  This  after- 
noon 13  men  arrived,  five  days  from  Red  lake,  with  skins 
and  furs  to  trade  for  tobacco  and  ammunition.  31st. 
Indians  arrived  from  below,  with  skins  for  liquor. 

Monday,  Aug.  ist.  Indians  left  and  others  arrived. 
Made  up  30  bags  of  pemmican.  Men  hunting  toward  Park 
river.  2d.  Men  all  off  with  the  Indians  for  their  skins. 
Our  H.  B.  Co.  neighbors  dare  not  stir  from  their  fort,  they 
are  so  much  in  dread  of  the  Sioux,    jd.    Once  more  clear 


^il 


EXPRESS  IN— DUNCAN   M'GILLIVRAY  DEAD. 


439 


^ 


of  Indians  and  freemen,  who  are  all  gone  toward  the  moun- 
tain, in  the  strong  wood.  My  people  returned  from  the 
Indian  tents. 

About  sunset  three  young  Indians  arrived,  ten  days  from 
Lac  la  Pluie,  via  Reed  lake.  They  had  been  obliged  to 
abandon  their  canoes  soon  after  crossing  Reed  lake,  and 
thence  had  come  on  foot.  They  brought  me  a  packet  from 
the  mountain.  Fort  William,  and  Montreal.  The  principal 
news  was  the  death  of  our  worthy  friend,  .Duncan  McGil- 
livray,  Esq.,*  which  occurred  last  spring,  in  Montreal.    But 

*  McGillivray  or  Macgillivray  is  a  famous  name  in  these  annals,  one  of  the 
foremost  among  the  many  "  Mac's  "  which  attest  the  sturdy  Scotch  stock  of  the 
N.  W.  Co.  The  name  also  appears  as  a  rule  in  due  form,  and  the  several  per- 
sons who  bore  it  are  identifiable  with  less  difficulty  than  usual.  Duncan 
McGillivray,  above  said,  was  a  clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  in  1797  or  earlier ;  sent  that 
year  to  upper  Fort  Augustus  on  the  N.  Saskatchewan.  He  was  brought  in  to 
Grand  Portage  on  a  litter,  with  his  leg  badly  hurt,  June  26th,  1798.  We  find 
him  at  St.  Joseph's  isl.,  May  29th,  1800,  from  Mackinac,  en  route  west;  he 
went  to  the  Rocky  Mountain  house  on  the  N.  Saskatchewan,  made  an  explo- 
ration thence  to  the  N.  branch  of  that  river  a>.d  return,  in  1800,  and  accom- 
panied David  Thompson  on  his  Bow  River  tour,  Nov.  I7th-Dec.  3d,  1800. 
He  left  the  N.  W.  country  in  1802,  became  a  partner  of  McTavish,  Frobisher 
&  Co.,  and  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Montreal  agreement  of  Nov.  5th,  1804. 
— Archibald  McGillivray  left  the  Rainy  River  house  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  with 
Harmon  and  others,  July  26th,  1808. — ^John  McGillivray  was  a  clerk  of  the 
N.  W.  Co.  in  the  Muskrat  River  country  in  1797  ;  was  on  Rainy  r.  in  July  of 
that  year,  and  reached  Grand  Portage  with  Thompson  July  22d.  When  met 
by  Thompson  on  Rainy  r.,  July  i6th,  1798,  he  had  13  packs,  three  of  which 
had  been  seized  from  Mr.  William  Linklater  on  account  of  matters  connected 
with  the  desertion  of  Francois  Loyola.  In  1799  he  was  engaged  on  the  lower 
English  r.  He  wintered  at  the  N.  W.  Co.  house  on  the  E.  end  of  Lesser  Slave 
1.,  1803-04,  and  signed  the  Montreal  agreement  of  Nov.  5th,  1804,  by  his 
attorneys.  He  wintered  1808-09  at  Fort  Dunvegan  on  Peace  r.,  which  he  left 
May  lith,  1809,  for  Fort  William ;  and  wintered  again  at  Fort  Dunvegan, 
i8ia-i3.  Joseph  McGillivray  (look  in  Index)  was  at  the  Okanagan  post 
on  the  Columbia,  April  asd,  1814.  John  McGillivray  retired  in  1818.— Of 
Simon  McGillivray  my  memoranda  are  lost  or  mislaid.— William  McGillivray 
was  in  charge  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  house  at  Lac  des  Serpents,  English  River 
Dept.,  against  Roderic  McKenzie,  in  1786-87.  In  1790  he  had  become  a  part- 
ner, and  is  named  as  one  of  the  i^ents  by  Thompson  at  Grand  Portage  July 
aad,  1797.  He  is  found  there  i^in  June  asd,  1798,  and  en  route  from  Mon- 
treal to  the  tame  place  in  May,  1800.  He  had  wintered  at  least  one  year  before 
1804  at  Reed  1.,  Missinipi  waters.     As  already  stated,  p.  220,  he  is  the  person 


Qo  ^ 


3- 


440 


HENRY  RECEIVES  MARCHING  ORDERS. 


the  main  motive  of  the  express  was  to  forward  a  statement 
of  the  arrangement  of  the  department  by  our  council  at 
Fort  William,  wherein  I  was  appointed  to  Lower  Fort  des 
Prairies  [meaning  Fort  Vermilion]. 

MTURNS    FROM  LOWKR  RED  RIVSR  DBPARTMINT,  1807-08. 


1 


■■■■I 


Thkh  CANon. 


4a6  Baavwri,  weight  908  lb* 

■61  Black  Binn 

19  Brown  Bean 

I  Grinlr  Bear 

93aMart«iu 

198  Minks 

iiSOtten 

ttf  Shaved  Parchmeatt 

SS  Dressed  Biches 

46  Raccoons 

ti8  Fishers 

4  Loup<enriers 

3  Wolverenes 

37  Foxes 

MWolves 

>  Buffalo  Robes 

<o  Packs  of  90  lbs.  each 

334  Bags  of  Pemmican,  90  lbs.  each. 

46  Kegs  of  Grease  of  70     "       "  . 

a     ^*  "90    "       " 


L.  Dofion, 
Dead  River. 


S4 

3< 
S 

■ss 

no 

■7 
•7 
>S 

4 
•9 

• 
a 
I 


M.  Laaglois, 
Delorme, 

and  Bellaire, 
Hair  HUb. 


S3 

34 
S 

a 

7 

3 

7« 

8 
4< 

I 
I 

a 


Wn.ftenry. 

J.  Slit, 
Grandes 

Fottrchas. 


ISO 
48 

a 
I 
6 
18 
3S 
S 

«s 

>4 

"i 
s 


16 


103 


A.  Henry, 
Wm.Honry. 
Panbian 

River. 


'U 


<3 
S3 

74 
40 

t 

aS 
43 

4 


»3 


«7« 

46 

a 


4a  Kega  of  Sugar  brought  from  L.  Lake  t 
6       "  "    made  at  Panbian  River  I 


3,903  lbs.  gross. 
744  lbs.  tare. 


OaiajC473  ty.od. 


3,159  lbs.  net. 


for  whom  Fort  WillUm  was  named  in  1807.  Ho  returned  to  Scotland  before 
the  fusion  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  with  the  H.  B.  Co.  in  i8ai,  and  died  ea.  ^825.— 
Thompson  speaks  of  "  Mr.  McGillivray  and  the  two  young  McGillivrays"  as 
being  all  three  at  the  Rainy  River  house,  Aug.  3d,  1808.  When  Thompson 
was  in  the  Rocky  mts.,  1807  and  later,  and  had  discovered  the  sources  of  the 
Columbia — though  never  yet  sufficiently  honored  in  that  regard— he  had  of 
course  his  own  names  for  the  nuny  imoortant  rivers,  lakes,  and  mountains, 
'which  he  sew  first  of  white  men.  Amoug  the  streams  was  the  Columbia  itself, 
at  and  above  Canoe  r.  This  he  called  Kootanae  r.,  not  knowing  that  it  was 
the  Cciumbia ;  and  the  parallel  river  flowing  in  the  opposite  direction,  pres- 
ent Kootenay  r.,  he  named  McGillivray's  r.  Item,  the  place  now  called  Canal 
Flat  (Grohman),  where  Kootenay  r.  comes  so  very  close  to  the  head  of  Upper 
Columbia  1.,  he  named  McGillivray's  portage.  He  set  the  portage  at  lat.  50° 
08'  15"  N.,  and  put  the  mouth  of  the  river  2}i  m.  above  lat.  49*  17'  la"  N. 
But  more  of  this  beyond,  when  we  traverse  the  mountains  with  Henry. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  DEPARTURE. 


441 


I  forgot  to  mention  the  only  accident  that  happened 
from  the  attack  of  the  Sioux.  This  was  the  loss  of  an 
Indian  dog,  that  received  two  balls  through  the  head,  on 
the  E.  side  of  the  river,  just  as  he  was  jumping  on  board 
the  boat  to  cross  the  river  with  our  Indians.  One  of  the 
balls,  which  we  found  in  his  head,  was  of  their  own  make, 
from  lead  procured  on  the  Mississippi.  On  examining  the 
tents  we  found  that  two  of  them  had  been  pierced  in 
several  places,  about  two  feet  from  the  ground ;  but  as  the 
Indians  were  all  lying  asleep,  they  received  no  injury.  I 
examined  our  blockhouse  and  stockade,  but  could  not  find 
the  mark  of  a  ball ;  therefore  I  believe  the  Sioux  aimed  at 
the  tents,  and  not  at  the  fort. 

Aug.  4th.  Men  all  out  for  meat.  I  made  up  30  bags  of 
pemmican.  5th.  Made  up  12  packs  of  skins  and  furs. 
6th.  A  canoe  arrived  from  the  hills.  Took  inventories, 
and  sent  men  to  repair  the  boat.  jth.  Started  Langlois  and 
one  man  with  a  cart,  along  with  the  Cree,  for  their  skins.* 


LADINGS  AT  PANBIAN  RIVER,  JUNE   1ST,   1808.* 

A  Long  Boat. — Angus  McDonald ;  Charles  Larocque  ; 
Pierre  Martin ;  Jean  Baptiste  Lambert — 282  bags  of  pem- 
mican ;  I  bag  of  potatoes ;  42  kegs  of  grease ;  2  kegs  of 

*  There  is  no  break  in  the  MSS.  at  this  point :  but  Heniy  now  leaves  Pem- 
bina forever,  and  a  new  departure  in  his  adventures  begins,  as  soon  as  we  have 
done  with  the  tabular  matters  which  belong  to  his  Red  River  operations  of 
1807-08.  These  tables  are  written  in  another  place  in  my  copy  (folios  646- 
659),  but  I  bring  them  into  their  proper  connection.  They  include  some  mete- 
orological statistics,  which  I  omit. 

*  See  back,  p.  430,  this  date,  when  the  brigade  was  dispatched  from  Pem- 
bina. The  inventory  is  interesting,  as  showing  the  composition  of  the  lading, 
its  distribution  in  the  several  boats,  etc.  The  "pieces"  are  not  specified. 
The  50  "  packs  "  are  of  skins  and  furs ;  "  W.  W.  2  "  is  some  mark  upon  them. 
The  table  is  also  valuable  for  its  list  of  the  men,  mostly  with  full  names.  Some 
of  these  have  been  already  noted  as  they  came  up  successively  in  the  course  of 
the  narrative ;  for  the  rest  I  have  the  following  memoranda,  including  other 
persons  of  the  same  surnames : 

Giarles  Larocque,  no  further  record :  for  other  Larocques,  see  note  **,  p. 
5a,  note  ",  p.  301. 


442 


MANNING  AND  LADING  OF  CANOES. 


gum ;  224  pieces ;  2  pairs  of  cart-wheels ;  i  leather  tent ;  i 
oilcloth  tent ;  i  cow ;  bark  and  wattap  [6toupe]. 

A  Boat. — Joseph  Lambert ;  Pierre  Vandle  ;  Antoine  La- 
pointe — 5  kegs  of  grease ;  2  kegs  of  gum  ;  107  pieces ;  i  bag 
of  potatoes ;  i  pair  of  cart-wheels ;  i  leather  tent ;  i  oil- 
cloth tent ;  i  cow. 

A  Lake  Winipk  Canoe. — Houle  ;  Charbonneau ;  Fleury ; 
Surprennant — 21  bags  of  pemmican;  i  bag  of  potatoes;  3 
kegs  of  grease  ;  24  pieces ;  i  buffalo. 

A  Canoe. — Andr6  Beauchemin  ;  Joseph  Bourr^e — 20 
packs,  W.  W.  2  ;  13  bags  of  pemmican ;  i  bag  of  potatoes ; 
3  kegs  of  grease  ;  36  pieces ;  i  buffalo. 

Pierre  Martin  is  listed  as  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Lower  Red  r.,  1804. — One 
Martin  was  with  Roderic  McKenzie  on  the  new  Kaministiquia  route  in  Aug., 
1804.— One  Martin  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  was  with  Thompson  in  the  Rocky  mti., 
)  winter  of  1808-09.  At  date  of  May  30th,  1809,  Thompson  says,  "  Martin  inso- 
solent ;  dislocated  my  ri^ht  thumb  in  thrashing  him."  The  Martin  who  reap- 
pears in  Thompson's  journal  of  June  aad,  1811,  at  Ilfhkoyape  (Kettle)  falls  on 
the  Columbia,  and  went  S.  from  the  falls  Aug.  ao^.Ii,  1811,  was  probably  the 
same. — Fran9ois  Martin  is  listed  as  voya£.:urW.  W.  Co.,  1804,  Ratj'. — Fr^- 
d^rif  '  tin,  ditto,  Lake  Winnipeg. — ^J^r^mie  Martin,  ditto,  Lower  Red  r. — 
Mi     ■■•■■  vfartin  appeared  as  a  witness  in  the  Semple  case  at  Toronto,  Oct.,  1818. 

Foi  the  Lamberts,  see  note  ",  p.  aia. 

"  Vandle  "  I  have  not  found  elsewhere,  and  as  it  is  no  F.  form,  I  suppose 
error. — Antoine  Vandal  is  listed  as  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  1804,  Lake  Winni- 
peg.— Antoine  Vandal  again  is  ditto,  Athabasca  Dept. — Joseph  Vandalle  ap- 
pean  as  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  1804,  Lake  Winnipeg. — No  Pierre  of  any  such 
surname  found  elsewhere. 

For  Lapointes,  see  note  *,  p.  aa6. 

One  HouU  was  an  old  man  in  1793. — Louis  HouU  or  Houle  of  the  N.  W. 
Co.  left  Fort  Esp^nce,  on  the  Assinibointj,  Dec.  xoth,  1793,  with  a  party 
that  went  to  the  Mandans  and  back  ;  found  on  Assiniboine  and  Red  rivers  in 
1794.— Louis  Joseph  Hool  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  who  went  with  Thompson  to  the 
Mandans,  1977-98,  is  probably  the  same. — Francois  Capois  Houle,  yVx,  is  listed 
as  voyageur  contre-m^tre  N.  W.  Co.,  Fort  Dauphin,  1804. 

For  the  Charbonneans,  see  note  **,  p.  50. 

Franf  ois  Fleury  and  Louis  Fleury  are  both  listed  as  vojrageurs  N.  W.  Co. , 
Lake  Winnipeg,  1804,  and  Henry's  man  is  no  doubt  one  of  these  two. 

Surprennant :  no  other  record  noted. 

For  Beauchemin,  see  note**,  p.  51. 

Joseph  Bourr^  is  listed  as  Joseph  Bourret,  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Lower  Red 
r.,  1804.— Antoine  Bourier,  dit  Lavigne,  of  the  N.  W.  Co.,  left  Fort  Esp^ranoe 


■psagi^-'- 


MANNING  AND  LADING  OF  CANOES. 


443 


A  Canoe. — Angus  Brisebois;  Jean  Baptiste  Larocque; 
Jean  Baptiste  Desmarais — 20  packs,  W.  W.  2  :  9  taureaux ; 
3  kegs  of  grease;  2  bags  of  potatoes;  32  packages,  and 
McD.'s  baggage ;  2  bales  of  meat ;  i  buffalo. 

A  Canoe. — Louis  Desmarais;  Joseph  Plante;  Cyrile 
Paradis ;  Michel  Damphonsse — 10  packs,  W.  W.  2  ;  2  kegs 
of  grease ;  2  bags  of  potatoes ;  12  pieces,  and  my  baggage ; 
2  buffalo ;  4  bales  of  meat. 

L.  L.  Canoe. — Charles  Bottineau ;  Jervis  [Gervais] ;  Assi- 
niboines — 22  kegs  of  grease  ;  i  bag  of  potatoes ;  16  bags 
of  potatoes,  Bas  de  la  R  ivi^re ;  32  pieces ;  i  buffalo. 

S.  Canoe. — Antoine  Larocque;  Bonhomme  Montour — 
TO  kegs  of  grease  ;  i  bag  of  potatcrs ;  i  cow. 

(or  the  Mandans,  D«c.  loth,  1793. — One  Bourieor  Bourr^  went  with  Thomp. 
•on  from  Boggy  Hall  on  the  N.  Saakatchewan  into  the  Rocky  mtt.  at  Atha- 
bascan headwaters  in  1810. 

For  Brisebois,  see  note  *,  p.  S96. 

For  Desmarais,  see  note  **,  p.  Si- 

For  Plante  or  Laplante,  see  note  *,  p.  a68. 

Cyrile  faradis  not  noted  elsewhere. — Cuthbert  Paradis  and  Fran9ois  Paradis 
are  both  listed  as  voyageurs  N.  W.  Co.,  Lake  Winnipeg,  1804. 

Damphousse :  nothing  like  this  name  noted  elsewhere  ;  and  its  peculiar  form 
suggests  error  of  the  copy. 

For  Bottineau,  see  note  *,  p.  aa6. 

Jervis,  Jarvis,  Jarves,  etc.,  are  frequent  corruptions  of  the  obvious  Gervais, 
and  various  persons  of  this  surname  appear  in  the  annals. — One  Gervais  of  tue 
N.  W.  Co.  wintered  at  Pine  fort  on  the  Assiniboine,  1793-94. — Alexis  Gervais 
is  listed  as  voyageur  N.  W.  Co.,  Upper  Red  r.,  1804. — ^Jean  Baptiste  Gervais 
is  thrice  listed  in  identical  terms  as  voyi^ur  N.  W.  Co.,  Upper  Red  r., 
1804 ;  this  record  may  be  of  one  or  more  persons. — One  Gervais  was  on  the 
Willamette  r.  in  Oregon,  about  1838. 

Bonhomme  Montour  I  have  noted  elsewhe;e,  but  the  surname  has  a  long 
record  in  the  fur-trade. — Nicolas  Montour  was  a. member  of  the  old  N.  W.  Co. 
on  the  coalition  of  1787 ;  was  at  Finlay's  old  fort  in  1789,  and  about  179a 
retired  to  Pointe  du  Lac,  Trois  Riviires. — Another  Nicolas  Montour  was  an 
engage  of  the  N.  W.  Co.  in  1799,  Fort  Dauphin  Dept.,  wages  180  livres,  G. 
P.  currency.— Nicolas  Montour,  clerk  N.  W.  Co.,  was  at  Fort  des  Prairies  in 
1804 ;  he  is  the  "  Mr."  Montour  who  reached  the  Rocky  Mountain  house  with 
Berder  and  a  Kootenay  Indian,  Oct.  31st,  1806,  went  on  another  mountain 
trip,  returned  Feb.  3d,  1807,  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  post  by  David  Thomp- 
son in  1811,  and  fought  a  duel  with  F.  B.  Pillet  in  1813 :  see  note  *',  p.  671 ; 
note  '•,  p.  757 ;  note  ",  p.  788. 


;V^jiSli3i« 


J..1I  ■!»:.-.—»'■► 


NINE  months'  rations,   iSO^-oS. 

ltt€afitmlati0H : 

335  Bags  of  Pemmicu,  90  lbs.  Mch. 
48  Kcgi  of  Greaae,  70  Ibi.  «Mh, 
4a  Kegi  of  Sugar. 
JO  Packs,  W.  W.  t,  Nos.  I  to  SO. 

465  Pieces,  exclusive  of  Baggage  and  Provisions. 

XuafitulaHom  of  prtvitiom  tUttroyetl  [ctrntumtd]  at  Pa$Uian  Riv*r,  Sift,  lit, 
iScfj,  tojutu  ill,  i9o8,  fy  If  mm,  to  wemiu,  14  ehiUrtn,  and  45  iegt : 

Fmndi. 

lis  Cows,  killed  Sept.  1st,  1807,  to  Feb.  ist,  1808,    .    4S<o<K> 

35  Bulls,  killed, 18,000 


147 


3  Red  Deer,  killed  autumn  of  1807, 

5  Large  Black  Bears,  killed  winter  1807-08, 


ms 


63,^00 

905 
460 

64.96s 


4  Beavers. 
3  Swans. 
I  White  Crane, 
la  Outardes. 
36  Ducks. 
1,150  Fish  of  different  kinds,*  taken  in  two  short  nets  under  the  ice,  Nov. 
15th.  1807,  to  Apr.  ist,  1808. 
775  Sturgeon,  weighing  from  50  to  150  lbs.,  caught  Apr.  aoth,  to  May 

30th  ;  a  great  part  of  these  were  given  to  the  Indians. 
410  lbs.  Grease. 
140  lbs.  Beat  Meat. 
Sas  Bushels  of  Potatoes,  and  an  assortment  of  Kitchen  Vegetables. 

*  Identification  of  Henry's  Red  R.  fishes  has  not  proved  easy,  and  I  think 
that  the  only  two  species  I  have  thus  far  named  technically  are  the  sturgeon 
(Aeifimir  ruHeundiu),  and  catfish  {Amiurut  hiMoiui).  But  by  patient  ang- 
ling  I  have  caught  several  others,  with  the  assistance  of  my  friend,  the  learned 
ichthyologist.  Prof.  Theodore  Gill.  I.  The  pike  may  be  the  fish  properly  so 
called,  Etox  Ituiui,  or  LuHut  Ituiut;  if  not  that,  then  the  common  pike-perch, 
StitoitiJicH  canddemt;  I  know  that  in  the  adjoining  Mississippian  waters  the 
pike  is  called  pickerel,  and  the  pike-perch  is  called  pike.  a.  The  dortf  or  dory 
is  the  wall-eyed  pike-perch,  StitottidioH  vitreum,  3.  The  lacaishe  is  the  moon- 
eyed  toothed  herring,  Hyodon  tirginu  ;  the  name  is  found  in  Henry  in  many 
spellings,  which  I  have  reduced  to  this  one  ;  it  occurs  elsewhere  in  the  quasi- 
French  form  la  quesche  ;  but  all  these  are  corruptions  of  the  Indian  name 
naeayth.    4.  PUcaMon,  fitecmm,  etc. ,  &re  forms  of  the  Cree  name  of  a  certain 


co.;t  or  the  nine  months'  rations. 
Note '  of  the  cost  of  the  foregoing  provisions : 


To  royalty  on  iso  aninialt,  <9  4i.  tf^d.,  . 

To  550  Ibt.  bMt  meat  and  gnaM,  valuad  at, 

To  a  ttargeon  nota,  <9  *^-  ^od.,     . 

To  9  Mta,  3ji-inch  mash,  @  15/,  oj^d., 

To  I  banch  mortan  [7],  ®  it,  syiJ., 

To  II  cod-lin«a.  <9  4r.  i}ii/.. 

To  6  Iba.  stargcon  twine,  @  a/.  a}i(d.,     . 


44i? 


z     «. 

4. 

i 

1.        4. 

31 

I     o> 

a 

5    10 

.        3     17 

8 

I      10 

o|< 

.      0      5 

i^ 

•      a     9 

oyi 

13 

lyi 

Add  45  percent., . 

To  as  Ibt.  shot,  0  7/,    . 
To  a  lbs.  balls,  ®&/.,    . 


Add  atoper  cent., 


To  10  lbs.  gunpowder,     . 
Add  90  per  cent.,  . 


To  \i  keg  high  wine. 

Add  aio  per  cent., 

[E.  and  O.  E.] 


7 

4 

3 

loX 

0 

7 

0 

0 

0 

7 

a 

6V 

I 

8 

0 

a 

1 

3 

3 

^X, 

II 


*\i 


a    16     1% 


I    16    10 


4    19    iij< 


54 


tucker,  Catestomtu  ttttuuri.  5.  The  "male  achegan"  of  p.  41,  where  the 
phrase  seems  to  denote  sex,  should  be  read  as  one  word,  maltaehtgan  being  the 
Cree  mahuhtgantk,  a  sciaenoid  fish,  Haploiinotm  grunnitm,  called  in  English 
fresh-water  drum  or  sheepshead,  and  thunder-pumper.  Malasheganeh  seems  to 
be  a  compounded  word ;  for  the  small-mouthed  black-bau,  Micropttrui  dolmitu, 
was  technically  named  Bodianm  aehigan  by  C.  S.  Rafinesque  in  1817.  6. 
Henry's  "  brim "  is  obviously  one  way  of  spelling  irtam,  and  the  common 
bream  of  his  waters  is  Ltpomis  paUidus. 

*  It  will  be  observed  that  hunters  received  a  royalty  on  buffalo  and  deer 
killed,  not  on  bears  and  smaller  animals.  The  percentage  which  appears  to  be 
added  in  certain  cases  was  the  difference  between  the  orig.  cost  of  the  articles 
to  the  N.  W.  Co.  and  the  price  at  which  they  were  expected  to  be  sold,  and, 
therefore,  their  value  as  estinuted  on  the  spot.  It  is  enormous  in  the  case  of 
shot  and  balls,  doubtless  having  regard  to  the  weightinen  of  lead  in  transpor- 
tation ;  next  highest  for  alcohol ;  then  for  gunpowder  ;  and  lowest  'or  netting 
materials.    The  high  wine  item  is  for  treating  the  hunters  on  certain  occasions. 


44^ 


HOW  BUFFALO  ARE  BUTCHERED. 


m. 


h 


A  fat  cow,  killed  in  the  autumn,  weight  from  600  to  700 
pounds.  A  lean  cow  seldom  exceeds  300  pounds.  I  have 
weighed  i$o  cows,  killed  from  Sept.  ist  to  Feb.  ist,  and 
found  they  averaged  400  pounds  each.  Bulls  in  the  same 
space  of  time  average  550  pounds.  Two-year-old  heifers, 
in  autumn,  average  200  pounds.  One-year-old  calves,  in 
autumn,  average  no  pounds.  These  weights  are  exclusive 
of  the  offals.  But  the  total  eatable  meat  of  one  full-grown 
bull,  as  received  in  the  store-house,  weighed  800  pounds. 
One  thigh  alone  weighed  85  pounds.  This  bull  was  in  full 
flesh,  but  had  neither  inside  tallow  nor  back  fat ;  which 
gives  me  reason  to  suppose  that  a  full-grown  bull,  killed 
fat,  about  July  ist,  would  weigh  about  1,800  pounds,  offals 
included. 

Buffalo  are  cut  up  into  the  following  20  pieces  by  the 
hunter :  i  grosse  bosse  [hump] ;  i  petite  bosse ;  2  d^pouilles ; 
2  shoulders ;  2  lourdes  6paulettes  [shoulder,  pieces] ;  2 
fillets;  2  thighs;  2  sides;  i  belly;  i  heart;  i  rump;  i 
brisket ;  i  backbone ;  i  neck.  The  tongue  generally  belongs 
to  the  hunter. 


END  OF  PART  I. 


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